


Resonance

by riahk



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Canon Divergence - Conquest, F/M, Gen, Heavy Revelations Spoilers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-06-22
Packaged: 2018-06-10 15:15:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 23,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6962182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/riahk/pseuds/riahk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With the tragedy at Cheve still fresh on her mind, Corrin pushes onward to Cyrkensia. But she faces another difficult choice when she's informed that her troops have captured her younger brother.</p><p>A canon divergence from the Conquest route, heavily borrowing elements from Revelations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm a big fan of Corrin/Takumi, especially so in Conquest even though it's pretty much nothing but pain in that route. This work hopes to remedy that! They're the main pair and the story will mainly follow the two of them, though I do plan to bring other characters into the story later on.

Corrin’s tent was particularly dark tonight, the low flames of her lantern casting shadows across canvas walls as the princess watched their slow dance from her bed. Normally she’d have given herself more light to read over her books or write in her journal, maybe even try some of those number puzzles Leo had shown her recently. Tonight she did not have the energy, and her usually cluttered table was nearly bare save for the half-eaten remains of that evening’s dinner.

She could not stop thinking about Cheve. Two days had already passed since their encounter with the rebels, since her own utter failure to solve things peacefully. Corrin found herself turning her gaze away from the dim firelight; it was beginning to remind her of all the homes she’d watched burn. She shifted her position on top of the covers, knees curling in towards her chest as she felt the urge to cry welling up again.

The soft sound of footsteps outside pulled her out of her thoughts, and relief washed over her as a familiar voice addressed her.

“Lady Corrin? Sorry to disturb you. I have some news to deliver.” Silas’ words instantly grabbed her attention, though she had only half-listened. Her mind was still waking and she was happy for anything that could occupy her at this point.

“Come on in,” she replied happily, pushing herself up so she was sitting cross-legged on the bed as she gave her shoulders a good roll. Only now did her sore muscles betray how long she’d been lying there, enough to instill embarrassment. Corrin watched as the knight stepped through the entranceway, watching her tentatively.

“Oh, you look like you’re about to go to bed,” Silas said, no doubt noticing the low light level and tidiness of the room. “Is this a bad time?”

Corrin quickly shook her head, though she both understood and appreciated the concern. “No, no, I’m just taking it slow this evening. Feeling tired. Meditating a little.” She tried her best to stop herself before she rattled on further, sliding herself off the bed to meet Silas in the middle of the room. As she got closer she could better see the worry on his face.

“You’re not getting sick, are you? I can fetch a healer, or Jakob-“

“It’s fine,” Corrin snapped back, but quickly caught herself. “Well, not entirely. I’m… still a bit shaken up by our last battle, to be honest.” Secretly she felt thankful that Silas had been the one to stop by this evening. She’d really needed someone to vent to, and her childhood friend fit the bill perfectly.

“Corrin…” Before she knew it she felt strong arms around her in a hug, which she found herself instinctively returning. Yes, she was definitely very glad for Silas in this moment. “I’m sorry. Of course you’re upset about that,” he continued. “I mean, it was definitely not how I was expecting our mission to go.” She nodded, her forehead pressing into his shoulder. “And seeing your brother again must have - oh!”

She watched, puzzled, as Silas broke away abruptly. “What’s wrong?”

“Can’t believe I almost forgot. I told you I had news, didn’t I?” Corrin gave another nod, though she’d forgotten too.

“Well? Go on,” she commanded, her face growing serious.

“Our troops found a suspicious party lurking around camp. Not many. Those who didn’t flee were apprehended,” Silas stated. Corrin placed her hands on her hips, troubled but not entirely taken aback by the news. They had just violently crushed a rebellion, and from what she’d remembered of the Chevois soldiers they’d been intensely passionate about their cause. But Silas still looked like he had more to say.

“Understood. What else?”

The knight placed a hand on his neck as though uncertain of how to continue. “The soldiers were mostly Chevois, leftovers from the battle. But your brother - Prince Takumi - was also with them. He’s currently among the captives.”

Corrin felt her eyes widen; had she been holding something it would definitely be on the floor right about now.

“What?!”

-

A comforting hand rested on Corrin’s cheek, and she peered up into the Camilla’s soft eyes but still found no answer to the multitude of questions flashing through her mind. Elise stood to her side, obviously growing sleepier by the minute but not wanting to be left out of the family gathering. Azura sat on Camilla’s bed, tranquil and quiet as always but ready to give advice if needed.

The impromptu meeting had been called over an hour ago, as Corrin had rushed to gather the family shortly after receiving Silas’ message. Their first point of discussion had been clarifying the details of Takumi’s - along with several other Chevois and Hoshidan soldiers - capture and current status in the camp’s prison. All were being heavily guarded, the prince especially at Camilla’s fierce orders, still angry at the strike he’d delivered against her younger sister. Corrin had taken quick notice of the legendary Fujin Yumi resting alongside Camilla’s belongings, its usual celestial glow dimmed by its distance from its wielder.

Secondly they’d determined that this turn of events did not in any way change their plans to continue their ride to Nestra to meet up with Leo and the King. They still had several days before reaching Cyrkensia, which gave them extra time to determine their prisoners’ fate, but Corrin did not feel like she could wait that long to make such a weighing decision.

“You don’t have to meet with him, dear,” Camilla said. “Just let me do all the talking.”

Corrin shook her head, a nagging feeling telling her that Camilla had more in mind for their captives than talking. “I appreciate the concern, sister, but I really must.” Her older sister fell silent, understanding, but now it was Elise’s turn to dissuade her.

“He’s nothing but a big jerk! And he probably won’t tell you anything useful,” she said with a pout. Then, more calmly: “I don’t care if he is your brother, real brothers don’t shoot you point blank.” At Elise’s words Corrin felt a sting in her chest from where Takumi’s bow had struck her armor, mere inches away from its intended target. Her younger sister did have a point - it was unlikely she’d be able to delve any useful information from him.

“I just need to apologize. To try and make things right, even if I’m doomed to fail,” Corrin said as her gaze shifted towards Azura, who met her with knowing gold eyes. “Maybe this is the gods giving me another chance to end this war with fewer casualties.”

Camilla smiled warmly. “Your ideals are ever admirable, little sister. I wish I could share them with you,” she said. “If that is your choice, I leave you to it. You know where the prince is being kept.” She turned then to Elise, standing akimbo. “Off to bed with you, little one. We’ve had enough excitement for this evening - don’t leave Effie waiting.” Elise opened her mouth as though to protest, but closed it as she realized how truly tired she was.

Silently, Azura stood up from the bed, joining Corrin as they stepped out of the tent into the warm southern air. Even as the moon began its descent, Corrin appreciated the weather here. At least, until the humidity kicked in during the early afternoon. It was certainly not what she was used to. “Let me walk with you, Corrin,” Azura muttered softly.

Stillness had fallen over the camp, a converse backdrop to her racing thoughts. Even as she took each resolute step part of her was urging her to return to her tent, to ask Camilla to handle the situation at hand.

But Camilla did not share the same fears as her. While Corrin had spent tragically little time with her Hoshidan family (and Takumi the least, for that matter), she was well aware of the position her brother was in. In a short while they would be in Cyrkensia, reuniting with King Garon.

And she knew, if Takumi was with them, what her adoptive father’s course of action would be. It was the one deafening certainty.

“Azura,” Corrin began, stopping in her tracks. The other princess watched her patiently. “What was it you were saying about Takumi the other day? When we defeated him and the rebels?”

Azura nodded, remembering. “He’s not the Takumi I know. He was always fierce and always harbored ill feelings towards Nohr, but something in his eyes that night -“ she stopped, a hand clutching her pendant. Something in her expression shifted as she looked up at Corrin. “There is anger towards you in his heart, but there’s also love. He wouldn’t have acted to violently if there wasn’t.”

Corrin bit her lip, unable to reply. Azura’s words broke her out of her thoughts again. “Your Yato is quivering, Corrin. Can you feel it?” Corrin’s face scrunched into a confused scowl but softened quickly as her attention shifted to the blade at her side. Azura was right. She could feel a faint sense of unwavering energy coming from her sword, as if approving - or at least acknowledging - her choice.

“Cryptic as always, Azura,” she replied, chuckling. “But I can, now that you mention it.” Her friend smiled, resting a hand on her shoulder assuringly. “Thank you. Your tent is nearby, isn’t it? I don’t want to keep you any longer.”

With that the songstress nodded, departing quickly and leaving Corrin alone with the night. With newly found confidence she strode in the direction of the camp prison.

She still didn’t feel like she understood Takumi’s feelings, but she was certainly determined to.

-

Even after all her self encouragement, Corrin did not feel prepared for what she saw as she stepped into their captive’s tent. Thick iron bars separated them but she could still clearly see her brother’s kneeling form, his hands and feet bound tightly (no doubt Niles’ work). Takumi’s clothes appeared disheveled, and his hair had been pulled out of its ponytail, falling in thick strands around him. She hadn’t noticed how long it was until now, or how its silver color mimicked moonlight.

Still he managed to somehow keep his composure as a prisoner, shoulders pulled back and chin up, not forgetting his dignity as a prince. Corrin was impressed and honestly relieved that no great harm seemed to have come to him. She almost wondered how her troops had managed to subdue him without Takumi sustaining any major injuries.

After about a minute of watching him, Corrin drew her Yato and placed it softly on one of the crates by the wall before seating herself on the ground in front of her brother, matching his posture as best she could.

She turned slowly to the two guards stationed by the cell. “Leave us, please. I wish to speak with him alone.” The two soldiers obeyed, leaving the room silently save for the slight clink of armor. Corrin’s focus now rested solely on the man in front of her. “I was hoping we could talk,” she stated resolutely. Or she hoped she sounded resolute; Corrin had rehearsed her words countless times on her way here but it still didn’t feel like enough.

Takumi’s amber eyes met hers, narrowing. “Awful confident of you to turn the guards away, ‘Sister’,” he said. His gaze turned on the blade resting in the corner of the room. “You lay down your weapon but still sit before me in full armor.” Corrin felt her breath catch, trying her best to remain motionless as Takumi’s verbal onslaught continued. “Do I still frighten you, stripped of my weapons and bound? I see you for what you are, coward.”

Corrin exhaled deeply. She’d been expecting anger, but the prince sounded like he’d practiced those lines even more than she’d rehearsed hers. And she could feel them brutally pulling at her. This was not going her way, not so long as she stood and took his words silently.

“I’m so sorry. Takumi, I’m-“

“Don’t,” he snapped through grit teeth. Then, his jaw relaxing: “Don’t think you have the right to say my name.” Corrin moved to speak again but he continued. “And don’t call me brother either. I have only one older sister, and she’s hundreds of miles away from here.”

Corrin swallowed and began again. “Very well, captive. I mean no ill will toward you.” She paused, expecting a retort but getting nothing. “We leave for Cyrkensia tomorrow, and you’ll of course be coming with us. If your fate is not determined before we arrive there, King Garon will be the one to decide it.” Again she stopped, allowing the words to sink in. Takumi let out a laugh, to Corrin’s surprise.

“I do not fear death. Feel free to bring me before that monster you call a father.”

“Please, Ta- please, don’t say that. I still believe we can stop the fighting between Nohr and Hoshido. You must understand that this war can bring happiness to no one.” Corrin felt embarrassment at the quiver in her voice, but it was overpowered by the relief of saying what she’d wanted to.

Takumi scowled. “It will bring me great happiness to watch Nohr fall, which I fully intend to do,” he said confidently. Then, his tone changing. “Are we done here? Your empty words are just that.”

She could take it no longer, her hands balling into fists, nails threatening to pierce skin. “Fine,” she growled, standing. “Expect to see me again tomorrow.” She picked up the Yato as she approached the entryway, sheathing it again at her side. The power she’d felt emanating from it earlier had gone. “Good night, brother,” she said as she stepped back out into the night air, motioning silently to the two guards from earlier as they returned to their post.

Tears she had been holding back all evening finally fell as she made the lone trek back to her quarters.


	2. Chapter 2

The sound of clinking dishes and scent of fresh tea awoke her, though she was upset to find that her rest had not refreshed her in the slightest. Her eyes were still puffy from crying, and a strange chill seemed to have fallen suddenly as she shivered in her robe. Jakob’s calming voice met her with the usual morning pep. She’d never understood how any of her retainers managed to rise so early.

“Good morning, Lady Corrin. You’re just in time for breakfast,” her butler chirped, setting the table meticulously. Corrin let out a groan as she pushed herself to her feet, dragging herself to the chair and plopping down in it, still half asleep. “Where’s your usual chipper attitude?” he asked sarcastically as she shamelessly yawned, not even bothering to cover her mouth.

“Not today, Jakob…” she muttered, taking a look at the meal in front of her. All of her favorite things - even the tea that was so hard to find in this part of the country - but Corrin found herself with little appetite. Still she took a few timid bites, knowing they had a big day ahead of them.

Jakob watched tentatively, no doubt having already eaten long before. “How did your meeting go last night?”

His lady groaned, stretching her arms above her head in an attempt to rouse herself. “Guess.”

Her retainer sighed knowingly. “I’m sorry to hear that, milady.” He paused, clearly observing her poor attempts to down her meal. “Would you like me to brush your hair?” Corrin turned to him tiredly. He was giving her the look he always gave her when she had an exceptional case of bedhead. Somehow this was unsurprising considering her current mental state. She nodded approvingly.

Despite her attempts, Corrin was unable to hide her displeasure from Camilla when they ran into each other on her morning patrol. Her older sister met her with a happy embrace, her hands smoothing her cloak along her back. “Oh, sweetie, I told you to let me handle him,” she whispered, and though Corrin knew she was trying to soothe her it did little for her. “I’ll tell you all about Cyrkensia during the ride today. It’s such a wonderful city, I’m sure it’ll cheer you up.”

“Smile, big sis!” Elise had exclaimed when Corrin stopped by to help pack up the tents. That had helped a little; it was hard for her to be unhappy in Elise’s presence.

By midday they’d packed up camp and were on their way, just in time to avoid the full force of Nestran humidity. Corrin was glad for the shade of their carriage, though it still only helped mildly. Camilla’s stories about Cyrkensia were a good distraction from the heat, though Corrin’s thoughts were very much still preoccupied by the nagging question on her mind. To her right sat the Yato, and to her left the Fujin Yumi, a grim reminder of their captive in tow.

Perhaps she could convince her father to keep Takumi as a prisoner of war. He’d no doubt be a good bargaining chip against Hoshido. And though it pained her to think of it, they had also captured several Chevois and Hoshidan soldiers whose execution could possibly quell Garon’s bloodlust.

No. Corrin shook her head for even considering the latter thought. What was this war turning her into that she’d even consider sacrificing innocent lives, even for her brother? Though if it meant saving him…

Her chest ached again as she stared at the bow in front of her, though it could not harm her without its owner. The backdrop of Cheve flashed through her mind. Their fighting. Blood and flames, her own strained pleading with Hans as he grinned at her, happily announcing that these were King Garon’s orders.

A shiver ran through her spine. She could deny it no longer; there was no chance of bargaining with her father for the Hoshidan prince’s life, which meant only one option was open to her. Except her sisters wouldn’t like it. Probably nobody in camp would like it.

The sudden sensation of their carriage stopping snapped her back into reality. “Ah, looks like it’s time to stop for the evening,” Camilla sang happily, rising from her seat, quickly followed by Elise. 

“Corrin? Are you coming?” It was Azura’s voice addressing her.

“Ah, yes, sorry,” Corrin replied nonchalantly, standing and fastening her sword by her side. Her gaze shifted back to the Fujin Yumi, surprised that Camilla had not taken it with her. She gripped the handle cautiously, as though afraid that it would reject her touch, but it was a simple bow in her hands. Heavy and intricate, but completely useless to her. “Let’s go.”

As she stepped out into the cool air her mind returned to the plan just now hatching in her mind. Yes, she was determined to take this course of action, though she knew she’d have to choose her comrades carefully.

A familiar face passed silently into her view, green hair moving gently in the evening breeze. “Kaze!” Corrin cried out, rushing to catch up with the ninja. He raised his brows at her inquisitively, arms crossed. She hadn’t seen him for several days, thought that was normal. He was, of course, exceptionally good at sneaking around.

“Lady Corrin, what a pleasure,” he greeted her gently. “Is there anything I can do for you this evening?”

Corrin smiled, the first genuine smile of the day. “There is! But…” she lowered her voice to a low hush. “I must ask first: will you perform this task no matter what it is?”

He was without hesitation. “Absolutely.”

“And you will tell no one?”

“I swear on my life, milady,” he replied.

Fangs showed through her wide grin. “Perfect.”

-

There were only two people Corrin had entrusted with her plan: Kaze and Jakob, the latter of whom was now waking her from her short evening slumber. The moon hung low in the sky still, and the rest of camp was still long asleep. Corrin had asked Kaze to observe the watch shift’s movements to help them best maneuver unnoticed. Still her heart beat wildly as she and her retainer stepped silently through camp, the fear of being found lurking around every dark corner.

The carriages holding their prisoners were located conveniently near the edge of camp, and the guards in front lay fast asleep at their posts. She’d laced their water with a sleeping draught herself. Sneaking in was as simple as walking through the door.

Takumi was getting the VIP prisoner treatment, given a carriage all to himself, and she quickly went to unlock the hard iron door keeping him trapped. The metal creak was enough to rouse him from his slumber, though it took a moment for him to register what was happening. “You…” he muttered, still half asleep.

“Ssh,” Corrin whispered, pointing her blade to his throat while Jakob cut the bonds on his feet. “Good. Grab his belongings,” she muttered, kneeling down to help him up. He recoiled as her hand brushed his shoulder, watching her silently, anger in his eyes. Slowly judging whether to accept her help. Determining what spirit had possessed her to perform such a reckless act. For once Corrin was glad that he chose to shut his mouth.

Kaze met up with them as they exited, leading them beyond the edge of camp into a small nearby forest they’d chosen as their escape route. The ninja quickly disappeared into the trees, no doubt following silently and scouting for any potential threats. Takumi complied silently, hands still tied behind him and Corrin’s sword held at his back.

Finally Corrin determined they were out of earshot. “Your Fujin Yumi is about a mile from here. Kaze will be returning to camp to release the rest of our prisoners shortly.”

“Why are you doing this?” Takumi asked. Corrin was genuinely shocked at the thought that her actions had stumped her brother.

“Like I said last night,” she began, tightening the grip on her blade. “If we take you to Cyrkensia, your fate will be in King Garon’s hands. And I have no doubt that he will kill you on sight.”

The prince scoffed. “And I’m supposed to believe you care about my life?” Corrin did not answer, focusing instead on the path; they were approaching the edge of the woods, leading to a bare hill dimly lit by moonlight. She removed her blade from his back as Jakob turned Takumi around to face her.

“This is as far as I take you. You will have the rest of the night before my sisters realize you’re missing. I’m sure that’s plenty of time for you to get far, far from here.” She tensed as she watched Jakob cut Takumi’s hands free, still uncertain how he might repay her favor.

There was a long pause as the man in front of her rolled his shoulders back, stretching his wrists and fingers before moving to pull his long hair back into his signature ponytail. “I suppose I underestimated you, Corrin. You’re kinder than the rumors say, and what I’ve seen,” he said, grinning. “Which is why I actually feel some pain doing this.”

His next action was too swift to Corrin to see, hearing only a loud thud as Takumi’s elbow met with Jakob’s head, knocking the man unconscious to the ground.

“Jakob!” Corrin yelled, but as she moved forward she felt a prick in her shoulder. “What…?” As she turned she noticed the small dart falling to her side, and her legs suddenly felt like jelly, bringing her to her knees. A seering pain was radiating out from the small wound, her whole body trembling. “Ta-Taku… mi…” she managed to say through chattered teeth.

Her brother only let out a laugh, kneeling to face her. “Did you really think I’d be captured so easily? I’ve had ninja tracking me since I allowed myself to become your prisoner,” he said. Corrin could only half hear his words, gasping in pain. “And that little dart was filled with wyrmsbane, ordered specially for you. Not enough to kill you, but you won’t be wielding a sword anytime tonight… or doing anything, really.”

“Please…” Corrin whined, her vision blurring as she tried to focus on her retainer’s unconscious form, but his attacker was blocking her line of sight. She felt Takumi’s firm hands around her shoulders as she finally lost her ability to stay upright.

“You’ll see… how Hoshido deals with traitors…” the voice sounded warped and far off.

The next thing she saw was black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter than last time, but the next couple will be a bit more action-packed. Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I bumped the rating for this chapter, since there are some more mature themes (though nothing explicit) that start to show here. Enjoy!

“…I’m going to protect you, Mother.”

A soft laugh, leaves fluttering in the wind. Warm sunlight filtered through the thin cloud cover, the perfect weather of a Hoshidan spring. And Queen Mikoto: newly the sole ruler to a kingdom she had only known for a short time, her mouth curved into a smile. But there was an unusual darkness in her eyes, uncertainty as she looked at him.

“Thank you, Takumi,” she said, running a hand through his hair, tucking a stray strand behind his ear. “I’m glad to hear it.”

He pouted, not fully satisfied with her response. “I mean it! I- I know that you have Ryouma, and he’s stronger than me, but-“ he felt a finger on his lips as Mikoto shushed him, whispering gently.

“I’ll gladly accept your protection, little prince,” she said. “But how can you say you’re not strong? I’ve seen you at the archery range recently. You’re getting good.” Her head tilted to the side as she gazed up, remembering. “In fact, you’re getting very good.”

Takumi grinned at the praise. “Yea! I’ll shoot down anybody who tries to hurt you!” He exclaimed, his small hands drawing the string of an imaginary bow.

“Just promise that you’ll let me protect you too,” Mikoto added, a hint of a creak in her voice. “That’s a parent’s job… after all…” her words trailed off, broken by sobs as she struggled not to shed tears in front of her son.

“Mother!” He moved forward to hug her kneeling form, feeling her shoulders quiver as she held her head down. With a quick breath she returned his embrace more firmly, pulling him close and running a soothing hand up and down his back. “It’s going to b-be alright,” he said, but now his own emotions were betraying him and tears welled in his eyes too.

“Lord Takumi? Is everything alright?”

Oboro’s voice shattered the memory, and Takumi found himself readjusting to his current reality: standing alone on a hilltop, overlooking their small camp several miles from Cheve. His retainer approached him cautiously from the side, spear in hand; she was always prepared for surprise attacks, especially now. They were mere miles from the battlefield they’d fought on nearly a week before and remnants of the Nohrian army were bound to be patrolling, ready to eliminate any potential threat. While it wasn’t the safest route, they didn’t have much of a choice if they wanted to make it to Port Dia.

“Hey, Oboro. I’m doing fine,” the prince replied, not meeting her eyes. “I was just remembering something from a long time ago,” he added hesitantly, half expecting Oboro to pry him for more information. But she only stood wordlessly, waiting patiently. He didn’t blame her for her silence; he’d been particularly distant lately. “My father died not far from here. It was around this time of year, too,” he said finally, turning to face her.

She watched him, concerned. “Oh,” she mumbled, no doubt thinking of her own parents. Then her expression brightened as she flashed him a smile. “Good thing we’re heading out soon! Once we finish resupplying we’ll be making our way to Dia as quickly as possible.” She stretched her arms above her head, inhaling deeply. “I can’t wait to be back in Hoshido,” she breathed, watching Takumi again.

He nodded slowly. Assuming there was still a Hoshido worth going back to, he thought, though he refrained from voicing his negativity. The Chevois rebellion had taken their time, and in the end it had barely made a dent in the Nohrian army. Meanwhile their enemy’s main body fought at the border, slowly breaking down Hoshido’s defenses, threatening each day to take away everything he and his siblings knew. Takumi stiffened, his head beginning to ache, that empty feeling of despair taking over him again.

But they had her.

Ryouma had failed to sway Corrin in Macarath, as Takumi had predicted; he knew the only way to bring her ‘home’ was through force. He was still surprised, the fact that they’d successfully captured her not fully sinking in, and it gave him hope even in the face of his past two defeats. Best case scenario, the Nohrians would divert resources to rescuing her, and maybe he’d even be able to spill some royal blood.

And worst case scenario: the traitor would be executed in the Capital, fueling morale and enacting vengeance for the Queen. Takumi only regretted that he could not strike her down now; but even in his anger he was sensible enough to know their hostage was more useful alive.

“Milord, you’re drifting off again…” Oboro said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Before either could say anymore he heard a light panting and footsteps coming from camp. An out-of-breath Hinata approached them, waving. “Hinata! Aren’t you supposed to be-“

“Lord Takumi!” the samurai breathed, hands on his hips as he stopped next to the prince. “Phew… are you two having a secret meeting without me?” he joked, his gaze sweeping across the view of their troops.

“Just enjoying some quiet,” Takumi said sarcastically, managing a smile for his friend. “But Oboro’s right, you’re supposed to be patrolling, not sprinting up hills.”

“Right, I know,” Hinata replied. “But I had some news to deliver.”

Takumi’s eyes narrowed. “I’m listening.”

Hinata paused for a moment, taken aback by his lord’s suddenly serious tone. “Your, uh, your sister - I mean the Nohrian one,” he began, giving Takumi a chance to interject. “She woke up early this morning, and was fairly lucid. Seems the wyrmsbane is wearing off.” Again he waited for a reaction, but Takumi was too deep in his thoughts. “Did you want to see her, maybe?”

Instinctually he wanted to say no, but he knew he’d have to face Corrin eventually. They’d had several easy days while the poison had done its work; aside from the occasional screaming, it had been relatively pleasant to ignore her. “We’ll need to increase her surveillance,” he said. “And… I suppose I’ll talk to her. To fully explain her situation,” he said, half regretting the words even as they left his mouth.

He scanned the surroundings one last time before making his way down the hill, retainers following closely behind. He’d lingered here long enough, dwelling on the past. He couldn’t let himself take refuge in memories; everybody needed him here and now.

Still dread filled his stomach as he thought about their prisoner - his one chance at redemption, he thought begrudgingly. But it was a chance he wasn’t going to let slip away. Not this time.

-

Corrin was beginning to lose sense of time. That was an understatement; her sense of time had been dissolved the moment that dart shot poison into her veins, leaving her thoughts jumbled and her muscles sore and weak. The only upside was that her fatigue kept her unconscious the majority of the time. But the waking hours, of course, were agony.

It was dark and silent when she first woke without a pounding in her head, her breath steady and her body left with only a faint stiffness. Slowly she wiggled her toes and fingers, relieved that she was able to move without the sensation of sharp needles piercing her skin. Her hands and feet were still bound and she lay on her side, cheek pressed into the wood of whatever cage she was being kept in. From her position on the floor she could see thick metal bars, and beyond that an exit, covered by canvas. A very faint light was peeking through, and Corrin surmised it must be nearing dawn.

Her armor lay in a pile in the corner of the room, leaving her in nothing but her undershirt and leggings. She blushed as she realized her overexposure, though it was too late to do anything about it; who knew how many days she’d spent here? The room was also empty, but Corrin didn’t dismiss the possibility that ninja were stationed somewhere in the vicinity, no doubt recording every detail of her current actions.

Not that there was much going on with her aside from the poison finally leaving her system (she thought briefly about other things leaving her system, but immediately avoided examining that point further). Even still she felt too weak to do much. Quickly she found herself drifting back into a calm sleep.

The second time it was light, the sounds of chatter and footsteps leaking in through the window. Surprisingly lively, Corrin thought, for an entourage traveling through enemy territory. Unless they were already in Hoshido? She assumed that was where Takumi was taking her, though that wouldn’t entirely make sense - unless she’d truly been in the wyrmsbane’s hold that long.

More of her strength had returned, and she pushed herself up as best she could with her limbs bound. Her vision spun and she imagined it had been a while since she’d sat up straight. She was also immediately aware of the dryness in her throat, and an overwhelming thirst. Certainly they’d been giving her water, but Corrin felt like she hadn’t drank in days, and her eyes darted around the floor, searching for any signs of a dish or glass.

“Looking for something?”

Corrin froze, knowing the voice all too well - serious, deliberate, slightly smug. A figure stood in the entryway, obscured by the harsh sunlight behind him, but she recognized the Hoshidan prince’s silhouette. Takumi stepped forward, giving her a clearer view of his face, amber eyes watching her intently. Though his expression was serious, she swore she could see the slightest hint of a smile on his lips. No doubt it pleased him to see her bound and helpless. She gritted her teeth involuntarily, surprised and upset by her immediate anger towards him.

After the initial shock wore off she noticed the tray in his hands, a simple meal that nonetheless made her mouth water - or it would, if she weren’t already so thirsty. Her eyes watched as he placed it down on the floor beyond the bars and seated himself, demanding her attention. “This feels familiar,” he said, and this time she was sure the smirk was real.

Corrin squared her shoulders, facing him directly. “Did you-“ she stopped short, her voice coming out significantly more hoarse than she’d expected. She leaned over while unleashing a series of coughs, her ears burning. When she finally sat back up with a faint hint of tears at the edge of her eyes Takumi was still watching her, his face unreadable. She took a breath, refocusing. “Did you come here to gloat?”

“Ideally I wouldn’t be here at all,” Takumi replied. “But we can’t always have what we want, can we?”

She sighed, wordless. It was unclear whether she was simply too tired or if her guilt over Cheve - over everything that had happened since the day she chose Nohr, really - was beginning to get the best of her. But even as the humiliating nature of her situation sank in, even as the rope on her wrists cut into her skin, Corrin couldn’t help but feel she was getting what she deserved. Her chest rose and fell softly, her breath steadying as a sense of acceptance washed over.

Her brother broke the silence again. “It’s amazing how well you play the victim,” he muttered, his hands reaching for the tray by his side, sliding it beneath the small space between the iron bars and the floor. Corrin’s heart skipped a beat, immediately honing in on the small wooden bowl of water. There was hardly anything there, but it may as well have been a lake.

She hesitated for a moment, remembering her bound hands and feet and squirming as she realized how she’d have to drink it. She flashed a pleading look at Takumi, who unsurprisingly showed no sign of caring - or leaving. Was he just going to sit there?

Still her thirst won in the end, and she found herself lowering her head to the bowl.

“Wait.”

A growl escaped her lips as she craned her neck upward, lips mere inches from the water she craved. What she saw puzzled her: Takumi’s mouth twisted into a confused scowl, as though he were trying to hide his disgust and failing. Corrin rose again, narrowing her eyes at him, a bizarre sense of confidence pulsing in her chest. She would almost go as far to say he was flustered, an emotion she’d never seen him wear.

“I can’t watch you drink it like that,” he said. Corrin rolled her eyes.

“Then take it back or untie me, I can’t-“ she stopped short as Takumi rose quickly to his feet, his hands working at the lock on the gate. Her eyes widened, not believing what she was seeing, but the thin creak of the door swinging open was unmistakable.

Takumi closed the door with a soft clink and knelt beside her, the tray between them. “Are you actually-“

“Shut up. You’ll speak when I ask you to.”

Corrin eyed him warily but he was expertly avoiding her gaze, hands delicately picking up the bowl and raising it to her mouth level. She scooted forward tentatively, half expecting him to splash the contents all over her face. Instead his hands tilted forward ever so slightly as she placed her lips softly along the rim of the bowl, perfectly delivering the water to her.

Initially she sipped slowly but her thirst seemed to multiply even as it was quenched, and before she could realize it she was gulping the liquid down. It didn’t last long as she realized just how little was there. Takumi placed the bowl back down as silently as he’d lifted it, looking to her briefly before picking up the single slice of bread left on the platter. Corrin fought back a comment, the force of his last command still hitting her.

She bit down slowly, eyes traveling from the floor upward, scanning slowly across Takumi’s body. Even in his baggy clothes she could see his muscles tensing up, and she swore she could hear his heart pumping loud enough to even drown out her own heavy pulse. This was the closest she’d ever been to him, she realized, and in their proximity she was beginning to notice the minute details of his face and hands. He was taller than she’d previously noticed, shoulders broader - more so than Leo’s, but not Xander’s. She was nervous to look too long into his eyes, afraid it would break the oddly tranquil moment if he caught her staring - but she stole a look just long enough to discover a freckle in his left eye.

His breathing was coming out uneven, and Corrin could only imagine his nerves were worked up almost as much as hers. Why was he doing this? Obviously she hadn’t spent enough time around him to really know his personality, but even so something about the prince seemed off. Or was it just her?

“We’re taking you back to Hoshido, where you’ll stand trial for your crimes,” he stated emotionlessly - almost robotically, and Corrin was almost positive he was trying hard to drain his voice of any betraying feeling. “It’s just a formality. You’ll be executed, I can assure you.”

She swallowed. Harsh words, but not entirely unexpected, and she wasn’t in the mood to determine whether it was truth or simply intimidation tactics.

When she leaned in for the final bite Takumi’s hand pulled it up and away swiftly, forcing her to look up at him, the grin from before returning. He popped the small piece into his own mouth smugly, eyes lingering on hers. “There. Now you know where you stand - well, in this case, sit,” he said. “Any questions?”

There were a million questions racing through her mind, but Corrin couldn’t surface a single one to her lips. The weight of what just happened was still heavy on her chest, the tension in the air palpable. Her captor rose to his feet, quickly returning to the other side of the bars with the empty dishes in hand. “I’ll see you in Hoshido, then,” he breathed, turning to leave.

“Thank you,” Corrin said instinctively, surprised by her choice of words. Takumi clearly was too, his head turning back to look at her with confusion. There was a hint of mixed emotion is his eyes, a whimsical and sad light that Corrin couldn’t place. He was too far for her to spot the freckle in his eye, but something about knowing it was there made her happy. He left silently, leaving her alone again.

She shouldn’t feel happy, Corrin thought. Her own brother had just told her she would be executed; of course, he could be bluffing, and she had her other siblings’ wishes to consider. Or the possibility of any interception between here and Castle Shirasagi. Yes, she told herself that was the source of her current blissful state. Now was not the time to give up.

-

Same place, different dream. He was no longer a child, his hair grown long and pulled back, mimicking the woman next to him. “You’ve grown taller than me,” Mikoto said, her eyes more aged but brighter than ever. All the light and love in Hoshido came from those eyes.

Takumi turned to her wordlessly, taking in her image, the fear of forgetting clawing its way from the back of his mind. “Come here,” she whispered, pulling him into an embrace. Her chin rested lightly on his shoulder, dark hair smelling like flowers and mint. He closed his eyes as light humming played across his ears, a lullaby she’d sung to him hundreds of time as a child. The tune was unique, not traditionally Hoshidan, and Mikoto had never revealed where it came from. Maybe she’d made it up - it wasn’t outside the realm of things she’d do.

Don’t leave, he thought, as her melody built to a climax. Her body felt lighter by the second, and even as he pulled tighter Mikoto’s body seemed to dissolve. Still there, but Takumi could not feel her, and her voice faded out as the song ended. He half felt her hands brushing across his shoulder blades, as though the muscles were numb. Her lips were at his ear but the words sounded far off.

“So strong now,” she lulled, voice still interlaced with remnants of song. Then she broke away abruptly. “Why couldn’t you protect me?”

The woman facing him was not his mother - she wore Mikoto’s face but her eyes flashed crimson, irises alight with rage. Takumi winced as nails dug into his arms and he turned his eyes away to avoid her piercing gaze. Surrounding them was no longer the bright hill by the palace but the ruins of the town square, grey rubble and obscuring dust.

He opened his mouth to speak but his breath caught in his throat; she’d captured his eyes with her own again, stare relentless. The ruined scene spun around them. Her fiery eyes demanding, accusing, crying silently.

Even so, she still looked so beautiful.

The prince woke with a sharp inhale, breath hissing as the sting of consciousness pulled him from the vision. The cold darkness and relaxing silence was comforting as always, though his pulse was still noticeably quickened from the dream. He hesitated to call it a nightmare, considering the beginning. Not to mention the stiffness beneath the blankets he was slowly becoming aware of.

Takumi mouthed a curse, his mind rolling out of sleep enough to affirm how hard he was. He felt his body burn with embarrassment - of all the people, of all the times, why her and why now? This wasn’t how he wanted to remember his mother. His stepmother, a particularly haunting part of his mind told him, and he wasn’t sure if that made him feel any better about the situation.

This wasn’t exactly the first time. The exact details of the dream were new, yes, but not the subject. He’d had the first one when he was thirteen and still he remembered the fear and shame he’d felt then - in some ways it was worse than just regular nightmares. Confused, Takumi had consulted his brother, who had been expectedly calm and understanding. Ryouma told him it was normal to have such dreams and feelings at his age and managed to ease his stress at least partially.

Of course, Takumi had been much too afraid to reveal that his dreams were about Mikoto. Or that sometimes, he had similar waking thoughts about the curve of her lips or the gentle way her thin fingers ran playfully through his hair. That he’d kept to himself, even years after the dreams had stopped and his inappropriate affection had died down to a subconscious whisper.

A whisper that was beginning to make itself loud again, apparently. He reached a hand down to take care of himself, frowning - it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. His eyes closed again and he let his thoughts roam free, eager to be done and back to sleep, back to forgetting.

But as he let himself complete, the foreign crimson eyes were all that ran through his mind. Inhuman and dark, not his mother’s but someone else’s. Then at his peak his memory betrayed him: he’d seen those eyes before.

Another silent curse, half out of ecstasy and half out of the realization sweeping over him. He arched back, anger and confusion swelling in his chest. It meant nothing, he told himself. It had meant nothing back then and it meant nothing now - just a bizarre coincidence, a strange and stressful situation crafting strange dreams.

Still, imagining both of them? He couldn’t decide which was worse.


	4. Chapter 4

The lights in Cyrkensia shone so brightly outside the window that Leo almost didn’t need the lamp in his room. Even as evening fell the city fought back the night with full force, its myriad colored street lamps and strung lanterns acting as gentle guides for the steady hustle and bustle of crowds roaming the streets. Leo stepped away from his book to approach the great glass window overlooking the main road, taking in the lively scene. A stark contrast to the silent streets of Windmire, possibly even busier than its underground communities.

Their party had arrived in the city earlier that day, and after spending the afternoon wandering and admiring the river Leo was happy for some time alone to pursue more preferable hobbies. It wasn’t just that he’d rather be reading; he was beginning to miss his sisters and, somehow, his retainers as well. Yes, he imagined his trip would be much more enjoyable once better company arrived.

His idle viewing continued, though something at the edge of his vision caught his attention. About a mile up the main road was an unusual parting in the crowd as a small group of riders made their way through, the leads carrying dark flags. After a moment the Nohrian crest was unmistakable. They weren’t expecting his siblings for at least another day, and the entourage was much smaller than it should have been, but there were no doubt royalty in the procession.

There was a light knock on the door and Leo beckoned the guard in, eyes still watching the outside. In a low voice the man spoke: “Lord Leo, we’ve just received word that your sisters have arrived.”

“Yes, I can see that,” Leo said nonchalantly, trying to determine where the rest of the army was. He turned to face the soldier, stepping away from the window and turning to pick up his cloak. Standing and hypothesizing would get him nowhere; surely Camilla had a better explanation than he could infer. “I’ll meet them at the gates.” 

With guards in tow Leo rushed to the entrance, arriving at the front courtyard just in time to see the horses slow to a stop in front of the intricately-designed iron doors. As the party began dismounting Leo saw two figures rush to his side, quickly recognizing Niles and Odin. They immediately showered him with their usual cooing and closeness bordering on invasion of personal space, but Leo couldn’t help but smile at being reunited.

His content expression faded as he heard the clink of heels on the cobblestone, watching his older sister approach him. Her mouth was drawn thin, her eyes serious. He peered beyond her, catching Effie helping Elise off her horse, scanning the group for a third he expected to be there.

“Good evening, Camilla,” he said, not wanting to forget his manners. “Glad to see you here, though you’re earlier than expected. Where’s Corrin? And the rest of her army?”

Camilla lowered her eyes, uncharacteristically somber. “I’ll explain inside, Leo.” Her heels clicked against the cobblestone as she stepped past him, followed quickly by her own retainers into the building.

“Something’s happened to Corrin, hasn’t it?”

Even in the dim light of her room (they’d pulled the curtains closed, as though shrouding their meeting from the rest of the world) Leo could see Camilla’s expression, and knew he was right. “No need to beat around the bush, I suppose,” Camilla began, taking a sip of her tea. “She disappeared, along with the enemy soldiers we’d captured a day earlier. We can only assume she was captured herself.”

Leo nodded slowly. “But something isn’t adding up. That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?” Camilla’s mouth twisted into a concerned scowl, her non-verbal sign of confirmation. “It’s very curious how the captives turned the tables on our sister and an entire army.”

“Jakob and Kaze claim they were attacked in the night. That’s obviously true, but I’m positive there’s more to the story,” Camilla said. “After all, that Hoshidan prince claiming to be her younger brother was among those we captured.”

“Takumi? But we devastated his troops in Cheve. I’m surprised he tried to pull such a stunt.”

His sister shrugged. “Well regardless, the stunt worked. The Hoshidans have our sister, Leo.”

Silence fell upon the three of them - Elise sat silently in an armchair in the corner of the room, knees curling into her chest but listening nonetheless. Leo felt the tension building up in his shoulders as he pondered the situation, trying his best to read Camilla. The princess was particularly stoic today, eyes lost in thought. He was positive they were all thinking the same thing, but no one was willing to voice it.

Still, somebody had to confront it. “You think she left of her own free will. Otherwise you’d no doubt be with the rest of the army hunting her down.”

Camilla huffed, but flashed him a knowing smile that somehow calmed his nerves. “There’s no hiding from you, Leo,” she began. Her expression saddened again. “I don’t want to doubt Corrin, but you didn’t see her after the battle in Cheve. Clearly the fighting - no,” Camilla looked briefly to Elise. “What happened there was a massacre. Even I felt it was excessive, and I’ve done plenty of fighting already.”

He’d heard as much from the reports they’d received earlier in the week. Leo still remembered the way his father had grinned when he heard news of the rebellion’s annihilation; a smirk that long ago he would have tried to mimic, but like the rest of his siblings the wear of King Garon’s ruthless resolve was pushing his limits. He found himself sorely wishing Xander were here to offer a wise word or encouragement. To make the news of Corrin’s disappearance - whether deliberate or not - slightly less emptying.

“We have to get her back.”

It was neither Leo’s nor Camilla’s words, a soft whisper interlaced by sobs. Elise lifted her head, relaxing her tight form only slightly to peer at her older siblings, tears shining at the edges of her eyes. “I don’t care if she was captured or if she chose to leave. She’s my sister and we have to trust her.”

The youngest princess was acting awfully mature; all his siblings seemed to be surprising him today. “Don’t worry, Elise,” Camilla said, her voice lightening up. “Corrin’s retainers are extremely dedicated, and the Hoshidans are still weak from the battle in Cheve. We’ll get her back.” Then, turning to Leo a darkness flashed in her eyes. “Or at the very least, we’ll have answers.”

He nodded slowly. “We all agree. But what we do next is heavily reliant on what Father has to say.”

Camilla crossed her arms. There was a good chance that King Garon would not take well to Corrin’s capture, though it would be more out of pride than love for his adoptive daughter. But there was also a strong chance he would suspect her of defecting to Hoshido, especially if given the full details of the story. No, this situation was delicate. “I’ll speak with him,” she said, rising. “We’re in his favorite city; surely a lighter mood will help.”

Her younger siblings stood, Elise still with an empty expression, though there was a spark of determination in her eyes. Leo looked more skeptical. “Let’s hope.”

-

The fields outside of Port Dia were cooler and dryer than the plains around Cheve, and the breeze blowing in off the sea was particularly biting today. Still, Corrin was simply glad to be outside in the sunlight. Feeling the earth beneath her feet, breathing in fresh air, she was almost able to forget her situation or the tight bindings around her wrists.

A harsh, low voice sounded from her left. “Time to go.” The ninja nodded to her, only their dark eyes visible, a hand reaching forward to grip her shoulder. Corrin turned obediently before they could, following the small entourage of soldiers guarding her.

Two days had passed since she’d woken up. As soon as it was verified that she could stand and walk Corrin had been allowed out of her prison, the confines of wood and iron replaced by a constant shift of ninja chaperones watching her every move - emphasis on the every. Not that she blamed them. As soon as she’d been allowed outside her mental energy was devoted to watching for any potential opportunity to escape. She wanted to congratulate them on their thorough job, but was worried her humor might be mistaken for a threat and get her sent back into the cage.

No one spoke to her aside from the occasional command. Soldiers would even lower their voices or halt their conversations with one another completely if they saw she was within earshot, avoiding eye contact. Again, behavior that was not surprising. It helped with her focus.

Her bare feet met with a pebble on the path and she felt herself trip, landing hard on the dirt. While her wrists were tied in front it did little to cushion the fall, and she found herself grateful that they’d at least allowed her to wear her armor again. She looked up and saw feet. “Get up.” A different voice from before but equally gruff and emotionless. While she was able to tell the voices apart she was not yet able to match a specific voice to a specific face or form.

“I’m fine, thanks for asking,” she said, pushing herself up with her elbows. When she took too long she felt a wrist grip her shoulder roughly, pulling her to her feet. She winced - that was where the wyrmsbane dart had hit her, and the spot was still tender. It wasn’t the only thing still ailing her; although she was no longer in excruciating pain she still found herself weak and tiring easily, though that may have just been the excessive amounts of walking. They were hellbent on getting to Dia as soon as possible, barely taking any breaks for rest.

So far they’d made no poor decisions and that was no exception. While Corrin had found no success in breaking free on her own, there was still a glimmer of hope that her troops would overtake them, but that dwindled with every step she took forward. She’d overheard they were supposed to reach the port by late afternoon, and once they were on a ship to Hoshido her likelihood of rescue would plummet. She was trying her hardest to fight through her fatigue for any last chances of escape.

They had her marching in the middle of the body, making it tough for her to stray away without being surrounded. Aside from her dedicated guard most soldiers kept their distance, making it unlikely she could steal a weapon. She worked her way through her possible moves, but none of them ended well. It was time to admit she was out of her depth.

Another ninja approached their group, whispering something to the head guard, who turned to her briefly. “Speed up,” they said, beginning to walk faster, and Corrin followed suit as best she could. “You’ve been requested at the head of the ranks.”

“You mean…” Corrin trailed off, not expecting an answer anyway. There was only one person who could have issued that command anyway. They hadn’t met up with any more reinforcements, though Corrin had considered they might run into Ryouma’s troops at some point.

She was surprised Takumi wanted to speak with her, considering his disposition from last time. She’d passed by his retainers several brief times - the blue-haired spear fighter had given her nothing but cold looks, and while the samurai with the gentle eyes had smiled at her once it was a short-lived moment. Like everybody else they’d refrained from speaking to her, though she assumed they'd have only negative things to say. The prince was clearing making a point of avoiding her, and Corrin had few complaints.

It did not take long for them to reach the front, where Takumi marched with his retainers on either side. Even from a hundred feet away she could see he walked with confidence, shoulders pulled back, his ponytail swaying lightly with every step. The man at his right said something and she saw his shoulders shake with laughter, realizing she had never seen him happy before. A smile formed involuntarily on her lips and she became aware of her heart beating slightly faster. Her arrival would certainly break his light mood.

There was a hint of a remaining smile on his lips as he turned to see her but it dissolved quickly, replaced by a stern stare. His grip tightened on the bow in his hands momentarily, and Corrin was now close enough to see a sword strapped at his side. Her sword. She’d wondered where they’d been keeping Yato, or if they had even brought it with them, and having that question answered brought her temporary relief. Even if it was in the most difficult possible place for her to get it from.

“Hello, sister,” Takumi said, his voice strained. He motioned briefly to his retainers and the ninja guarding her, who stepped aside. Takumi’s retainers hesitated for a moment but also moved to give them space, allowing Corrin to walk beside him. She stared ahead, unsure of how to respond. She managed a mumbled greeting but still tried her best to avoid his eyes. He seemed unbearably close despite standing several feet away - maintaining a safe distance - and Corrin could feel her focus slipping.

She’d expected him to speak but instead a long silence fell over them. No one within earshot uttered a word either, no doubt waiting expectantly to see how their prince would address his prisoner. All that she could hear was the sound of footsteps and Takumi’s light breathing. Had he just… wanted her to walk with him? Did he not trust his soldiers to properly keep an eye on her? Perhaps, she thought, Takumi was not as confident as she’d originally believed. But she was smart enough not to voice her observation.

“You’re looking well,” he finally said, to Corrin’s great surprise. She eyed him warily. “Ryouma and the others would be very upset if you arrived in anything less than pristine condition.”

She nodded. “I wouldn’t-“ she stopped herself, considering the consequences of her words, but after a moment pushed herself to continue anyway. “I wouldn’t call this pristine condition, exactly.” It took every bit of her energy to maintain a straight face, to keep her lips from quivering and finally looking her captor in the eye. The effect of her statement showed subtly on his face, a minor eye twitch of irritation, a slight twisting of the mouth. But overall, Takumi held an unreadable expression.

“Don’t think you’re so safe, traitor,” he said. “There are plenty of opportunities for accidents between here and Hoshido. Between here and Port Dia, even.” He turned away, smiling. “And it doesn’t change your ultimate fate, anyway.”

Corrin moved her gaze to the road ahead, maintaining her calm. Over the past two days she’d been trying hard not to think of what would happen if they managed to bring her all the way back to Hoshido. Something in her gut told her that Ryouma would not let her be killed; she’d seen kindness in his eyes in the brief time she’d spent in the capital. But in Macarath there had been nothing but anger, and she could not fully count on any lingering affection to dull her punishment.

And surely any favor she’d gained with the people had evaporated in that explosion. She felt her stomach fill with unease at the thought - she’d pushed the whole incident out of her mind, not wanting to remember. But still she could not erase the screams, the forceful boom or the mysterious figure shooting dark magic into her mother’s back. A shot meant for her, destroying any chance she’d ever have of knowing her real parents.

“My mother gave her life to save me,” she said in a half whisper, not entirely sure where she was going with her words. “It’s my fault that she had to, and I take full responsibility.” Corrin paused, watching Takumi, expecting anger but seeing only sadness in his eyes. She pushed forward, raising her volume. “But I truly want peace between Hoshido and Nohr, and Queen Mikoto is the reason I have a chance to end this war with both kingdoms intact. You can kill me, but it would make her sacrifice pointless.”

She watched as the sorrow in her brother’s face turned to rage, watched him take a step forward so his face was mere inches from hers. “How dare you,” he muttered. “How /dare/ you twist my mother’s death to fit your own agenda.” Out of the corner of her eye Corrin saw the samurai place a hand on the hilt of his sword, prepared to separate them. “You may have her blood but you have no right to call her your mother.”

Corrin felt her blood rushing, genuine fear taking hold. Takumi spoke with such force, his words laced with hatred, and she swore for a moment that his amber eyes flashed red with indignation. Instinctively she took a step back, eyes still locked in an intense stare no matter how hard she tried to look away. Her legs swayed beneath her as she struggled to focus on moving forward, wondering if she’d been drugged with wyrmsbane all over again.

“Lord Takumi!” A piercing yell broke the tension as a soldier came rushing toward them.

“What?” Takumi asked through gritted teeth, his voice losing some of its intensity.

“We’ve spotted Nohrian troops on our trail. Moving fast-“ his sentence was cut off as a sharp object collided with his chest, knocking the man to the ground. Corrin’s eyes widened, simultaneously afraid and hopeful. Nohrian troops could only mean one thing.

She didn’t have much time to ponder his words as Takumi moved to grab her shoulder, only to wince as another something struck the armor along his upper arm. It wasn’t a deep cut but it was enough to take the prince off guard; Corrin instinctively drew a knee to his chest, knocking him back as she tried to absorb what exactly was happening. Her eyes flew to the offending object, identifying the gleaming edges of a shuriken. “Kaze,” she muttered under her breath.

Takumi was on the ground, knocked there by her blow. Corrin noted the absence of his retainers and looked up to observe her surroundings. Both were already locked in combat and her heart lifted as she noticed two familiar faces.

“Jakob! Silas!” she yelled, smiling. They’d come to find her and she couldn’t be more happy.

“Not so fast!” Corrin let her joy hang as she turned around to see Takumi pushing himself up, throwing the shuriken to the ground as he lunged at her. She had barely any time to react as a figure shot forward between the two of them, stopping Takumi mid-attack. Kaze had shown himself, blocking the prince’s strikes.

“Lady Corrin,” he said between blows. “Glad to see you’re alright.”

She blinked, still a bit shocked, but quickly ran to the discarded shuriken several feet away. “You too, Kaze,” she called back as she positioned her wrists by the blade, sawing through the ropes on her hands as quickly as she could. As the last few threads were severed she heard a thunk in front of her and watched with surprise at her Yato lying in the grass. Her retainer stood next to her, helping her up as her fingers curled around the hilt of her sword, smiling. The grin was short-lived as she saw Takumi lying in the dirt. “Kaze, is he-“

“Just knocked out, milady,” the ninja replied. “What kind of servant would I be if I killed my liege’s brother?” He looked around, calculating. “We need to get out of here. The main army is back that way,” he said, motioning behind them. “There may be more fighting to do. Can you swing your sword?”

Corrin hesitated, remembering her earlier fatigue, but nodded firmly. “Of course,” she said, following the ninja’s lead. But she felt a firm arm on her shoulder, pushing her back. Kaze scanned the crowd - already a large number of their troops had engaged the Hoshidans, and the march was quickly morphing into an all-out fray.

“I’d rather you avoid the fighting, actually. We can’t risk losing you here,” he said sternly. Corrin frowned.

“Really? I’ve been fighting with all of you this whole time. I can handle a little skirmish,” she retorted, but Kaze narrowed his eyes at her.

“You’re clearly weakened. Don’t think I didn’t notice,” he scolded. She had no comeback. “We’ll run around the edge of the battle. There aren’t many Hoshidan soldiers here anyway.”

Corrin huffed, scanning their surroundings. Silas and Jakob had managed to take out most of the soldiers nearby but were still fighting Takumi’s retainers, and she could hear the clashing of metal on metal in the distance. “I’ll try to avoid the fighting, but you need to go. They’ll need you - I don’t want to take any chances,” she said.

“Milady, that’s-“

“An order, Kaze. That’s an order.” Her expression softened for a moment. “Thank you for saving me. Go join the rest of them.” She sheathed her sword, already walking away. The ninja stood still for a moment before nodding solemnly, taking off quickly in the direction of battle. Corrin smiled, glad to see her friends again. They’d all have time for a proper reunion later.

She took off in the opposite direction, her legs taking her up a small hill off the side of the road. The higher ground would give her a better view of the fighting and make it easier to formulate the safest path around. It was surprisingly gusty at the top, throwing her hair around her face as she tried her best to keep it out of her eyes. As she scanned the horizon she caught a glimpse of the ocean in the distance. They were indeed close to Port Dia, and Corrin sighed in relief that her troops had caught up to her in time.

But there was some uncertainty mixed up with the relief. Surely she would continue her path like she’d planned to before - move on to Cyrkensia to meet up with Leo and the king, report their victory in Cheve and… then what? Magically stop the war? Corrin had thought that the conflict could be solved with diplomacy, and she could be that link between the kingdoms. But she’d seen the way Takumi had looked at her like she was evil incarnate. Like she was the source of all his suffering, and she was beginning to believe she was too. How could she expect to make it right after what she did?

Corrin grit her teeth, fighting back a frustrated yell. Her unease could wait; right now she needed to focus on her present. She turned away from the sea back to the two armies fighting, the blurs of dark purple and gold against white and red. Kaze had been right - their troops vastly outnumbered her brother’s. It would not be a long battle. To her left she watched the main body of the Nohrian army advancing slowly, eventually intermingling with the Hoshidans.

More close to her she saw Jakob and Silas still fighting Takumi’s retainers, though even from a distance she could tell her men had the upper hand. She bit her lip; though she hadn’t spoke with them they’d seemed like good people, dedicated soldiers, and possibly even potential friends had fate chosen differently. Corrin prayed silently that they’d survive the war, or at least the battle.

Her eyes moved finally to where Takumi’s unconscious body lay in the dirt. Or at least, where she expected his body to be, but there was nothing but dirt and grass where Kaze had left the prince. Her ears perked up, suddenly alert, her head moving frantically to find where he'd gotten off to.

Out of the corner of her vision she caught the blue light just in time to save her life. It shot toward her quickly and she briefly remembered Cheve, her feet stumbling as she attempted a dodge. While the arrow missed her head (again) it didn’t completely miss its mark as she felt a sting in her lower right leg. Her armor was weak there and Corrin found herself wincing as her knees buckled beneath her.

The force of Takumi’s shot sent her stumbling halfway down the hill, her hands flying to protect her head from the roll. She managed to stop herself, elbows grinding along the dirt and she lifted herself into a half-seated position warily, head spinning.

“You keep underestimating me,” Takumi’s voice came out of nowhere, very close. Corrin’s eyes fluttered open, sunlight temporarily blinding her. A figure stepped forward, casting a shadow over her. There was a heavy strain in the prince’s voice, a tinge of something otherworldly, though Corrin attributed it to her disoriented state. A sharp pain was still running through her leg and there was the faintest hint of blood in the air.

Her hands quickly found her sword as her eyes focused on the man looming over her. “Bad time to fight back,” he breathed, his hands readying another arrow. Would he really kill her here? His words from earlier echoed in her head and she suddenly had no doubt that she could die right now.

“Corrin!”

She turned her head towards the second voice calling out to her, catching a glimpse of Silas riding quickly towards them. He must have taken care of his earlier fight, and Corrin’s shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly. But then Takumi let out a chuckle, turning his arrow away from her and locking on to a new target. No, she thought. He isn’t.

“More Nohrian target practice. Perfect,” he said joyfully. Surely the cavalier saw Takumi readying his weapon, surely he would dodge or even better run away. But Corrin sat, nearly frozen, as his horse galloped ever forward.

“No,” she muttered as her feet began to move on their own. She could feel the blood dripping down her leg even as she stood up, fighting through the pain. Two steps brought her right next to Takumi, who was watching her with surprise. “No!”

Her sword swung, slowly and poorly, but it was enough to force Takumi to block. Her Yato’s steel met with the sturdy handle of the Fujin Yumi, locking them momentarily. The prince grit his teeth, more irritated than frightened. “Are you serious? How can you still stand?” She felt him yank at his weapon, puzzled as the bow refused to budge. Slowly Corrin became aware of her own inability to move, as though her hands were glued to the hilt of her sword and her body was frozen in place. “What the…”

A small spark flashed where their weapons had met, a multicolored light that built brighter and brighter as the two of them watched, immobilized. “What’s happening?” Corrin yelled, suddenly aware of a loud whirring emanating from the light, the handle of Yato shaking violently in her fingers. Still she held it firmly, noting Takumi’s own death grip on his bow.

The next few moments were a blur, and Corrin could swear she’d left her body for a few seconds, feeling lighter than air. It was similar to when she’d travelled to the astral plane with Lilith - the field and battle disappeared abruptly, replaced by more of the ephemeral energy diffusing around them. She thought she could hear Silas calling out her name again but it was faint, as though he were miles away.

Then a great force pushed her and the light went out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: thanks to everybody for your comments! I'm having a lot of fun writing this so I'm glad you've all enjoyed it so far.
> 
> When I first published this work I already had the first four chapters written, and I've tried to space them out adequately to give myself time to keep writing without getting overwhelmed. I'm currently about halfway done with chapter 6 but work has been a bit busy, so don't be surprised if my updates begin to slow down.
> 
> Anyway, here's the next part. Thank you again!

Takumi couldn’t remember the last time his body had felt so sore. It wasn’t the dull, almost satisfying pain of exhaustion from battle or archery practice either - more like a tingling along his skin, as though his muscles had been vibrated intensely. As he became more aware of his surroundings he pushed himself up slowly, finding himself in a supine position on a hard surface. Grass brushed along his fingers as he gripped the ground, tensing up as nausea swelled in the pit of his stomach.

It was still daylight out, but even the rays of sun seemed dark compared to the intense light that had brought him here. Wherever the hell ‘here’ was, anyway. The scent of the sea was gone and no breezes blew through his hair, and the sunlight filtering through seemed to wash the field in an otherworldly hue. As though it were farther off somehow, or a different sun entirely. Curiously the prince peered up into the sky, a clear and vibrant blue. More intense than he’d ever seen it, and as he watched more closely he could make out flecks of indigo and pink and gold, shimmering like scales.

Most baffling was the silence. Takumi shifted his gaze from the heavens to the earth around him, a treeless sea of grass of varying heights. Some golden stalks seemed to rise up even taller than he was, or at least it seemed that way from his low position. Anything further beyond was obscured by a haze, grey and unmoving without any proper wind. Other than the yellowed grass there were no other signs of life, no birds chirping or insects buzzing around. The sound of his own breathing echoed and multiplied in his ears.

A soft moan sounded from his left, falling into a light sigh. He crawled slowly towards it, noting that his pain had nearly dissipated, though he still felt too lightheaded to attempt standing. He parted the grass and saw her: a sleeping Corrin, body resting on its side and legs curled inward toward her chest like a child. Her chest rose and fell slowly. Takumi caught a glimpse of her Yato - the sword she didn’t deserve, he thought - lying behind her, goldenrod steel contrasting against the dark blue fabric of Corrin’s cape that was spread across the ground. He began to wonder where his Fujin Yumi had gone but was interrupted by another mumbled groan.

He was mesmerized by how peacefully she slumbered, a lone princess lying serenely in a field. When she’d been his captive he’d only ever seen her thrash in her sleep, muttering incoherently as wyrmsbane kept her trapped in a long fever dream. He watched her, almost wanting to go back to sleep himself. Almost forgetting who she was or what she’d done.

Almost.

-

She hadn’t expected him to be the first thing she saw when she woke up, but as Corrin slowly drifted back into the conscious world her eyes focused first on a face peering down at her, amber irises watching hesitantly and soft lips pulled into a tight line. Silver hair fell down beyond his shoulder, swinging slowly and she was almost tempted to reach out a hand and bat at the long strands hovering over her.

For whatever reason she felt a great calm, as though she’d had a full night of sleep, her muscles relaxed and begging her to stay where she was. “Mmm,” she mumbled, still half asleep even as she pushed herself halfway up on her elbows. “Where…?” As the word trailed out of her mouth she began to remember the series of events that had lead her here. The battle, and the hill. Being shot - she tensed the muscles in her leg momentarily, wiggling her toes and noting that the sharp pain was gone. Takumi aiming a second arrow at her, only to redirect it.

And then the blinding light.

“Where are we?” she asked, jolting fully upright into a cross-legged position, her head nearly colliding with Takumi’s. Luckily the prince’s reflexes were quick. She watched him sitting in front of her, surprised by how demure he was acting, his gaze turned away and unfocused, seemingly deep in thought.

“I was expecting you to tell me,” he muttered, still not meeting her eyes. “This all reeks of Nohrian sorcery.” His fingers curled into fists, resting nervously on his knees.

Corrin rolled her eyes instinctively, wishing she were still asleep - she realized it was the first time she’d felt well-rested since her capture. “You mistake me for Leo,” she said, her chest tightening as she thought of her brother. She’d been excited to see him again, to see all her Nohrian siblings, had thought joyfully about reuniting with them as she’d run up that hill. Now she was torn from them again, and frustration was beginning to take the place of fear. "Trust me, I'm just as stumped as you are."

Takumi turned back to her, eyes narrowing. “There’s no one here - I can’t sense anything. I don’t know if there’s anything living aside from the grass.” He paused. “I’m not even sure if that’s alive either.” Corrin nodded, becoming more aware of their tranquil surroundings.

“There must be something,” she said calmly, peering into the fog that seemed to creep closer with every second. It was still far off, but her gut was telling her to wander beyond it. It certainly couldn’t be worse than where they currently were.

“How convenient that you have no idea where we are or how we got here,” Takumi growled, rising to his feet as he grabbed the bow next to him. She hadn’t even noticed it and Corrin found herself reaching for the Yato resting to her left. “You have ten seconds to give me a good reason not to take you down right now,” he said, his right hand pulling back. Corrin winced prematurely before noticing the distinct lack of blue light shining from his weapon. He’d noticed it too, looking at the Fujin Yumi with confusion. “What the hell?”

She hesitated, uncertain of what to do. “Something must have happened during that flash,” she said, though the prince didn’t seem to be listening, meticulously inspecting his bow. Corrin took the chance to check her sword. There was no damage, but as she looked closer she noticed that the edges were dulled; it could barely be used to slice bread in its condition. Takumi groaned loudly.

“This is all your fault,” he said. “Like you haven’t already done enough!” He cradled his now-useless bow, sorrow in his eyes.

Corrin watched him with a frown. She hadn’t even been awake for five minutes and was already losing control of the situation. Letting out a huff she rose to her feet and stepped towards him, hands hovering by his face but refusing to touch him, afraid - knowing - that doing so would only upset him further. “Hey,” she began forcefully. “You can refuse to believe me all you want, but I had nothing to do with that strange light. I don’t know where we are, or why.” Takumi looked at her with disbelief, but for once his anger didn’t seem solely directed at her. “But we won’t get anywhere standing around. We need to find answers.”

Takumi snarled but didn’t reply, understandably reluctant. He took a step back from her, hands dropping to his sides. “I hate to say it, but you’re right,” he breathed slowly. Corrin smiled softly - it was probably the nicest thing he’d ever said to her. How ridiculous, she thought. “Don’t look so happy about it,” he added angrily. “We’re still enemies. I’ll make sure you get the justice you- hey, are you even listening?” She’d turned to pick up her own useless sword, sheathing it by her side and adjusting her armor but gave a small nod to show she was paying attention. Even as he yelled at her she could sense a relaxed tone in his voice and felt a swell of confidence in her chest. He almost reminded her of Leo.

Almost.

-

Castle Krakenburg’s throne room was all high ceilings and intricate details, deep violet swirls and gilded steel spiraling skyward. An extravagant show of decadence in a land that struggled daily to nourish its people. Where the buildings stood half-sunk into the ground and subterranean caverns proved more hospitable than open-air streets. Behind the throne - itself more meticulously designed than the entire rest of the great hall combined - a carving of the Dusk Dragon rose above all of them, eyes crafted out of cut iolite that seemed to follow any who dared to look. And upward further the deity that few Nohrians knew of watched silently. Definitely a new addition, Azura thought, though her memories of Windmire were still fuzzy.

She personally liked keeping it that way; though it wasn’t the first time she’d been back to her childhood home since departing Hoshido, Azura somehow found it to be more foreign with each successive visit. Each minute she saw something that awakened unsavory memories: strange women and strange children yelling obscenities at her. Daily whispers around court wishing death upon her mother. The Queen - of not one but two nations, though the second was lost - holding her and assuring her that all of Nohr would soon love them. That was a fonder one, but such moments had been fleeting, feeling more like afterthoughts Arete had thrown in before being summoned promptly by the king. Leaving Azura alone in labyrinthine hallways crawling with people she knew she could not trust.

“What do you think, Azura?” Camilla stood confidently, her posture and manners flawless despite her own dislike for court business. Suddenly all eyes were on her: the younger prince Leo watched her with active eyes that did not betray his thoughts but did suggest a high volume of them, no doubt ready to analyze her every word. His gaze was nowhere near intense as the man’s sitting across from all three of them; King Garon watched with stern eyes that Azura could not have forgotten even if she tried. And somehow they had grown far darker over the years she’d been gone.

The twice displaced princess took her time formulating an answer, doubtful that her words would have significant sway over the king anyway. But neither Camilla nor Leo had been in the battle - a skirmish, really - where Corrin had reportedly vanished in a ‘flash of pale light’, as Silas had described it. Azura herself had been far off and generally avoiding the fighting, but it would have been difficult to miss the pillar of color that had shot through the air for a solid minute. Still they were all debating the reliability of the report, or potential sources of the magic that had engulfed the princess. And Prince Takumi, Azura recalled, though nobody had brought up his involvement yet.

“It was not a phenomenon I’ve ever seen,” she began. “But we searched everywhere for both of them and found nothing. Surely it would have been difficult for two royals - including one of enemy alliance - to evade an entire Nohrian army.” Dia’s geography was characterized by plains, hosting few trees or forests that could have harbored two runaways. And in the other direction was the sea. No, escape was unlikely. Whatever that light was had either obliterated all inside it - Azura was loathe to consider this option - or transported Corrin to an entirely different place. 

They’d already discussed both these possibilities - the details of what happened were not quite as important as what their next steps would be. She was certain Garon was far more interested in Azura’s insight into Corrin’s current allegiance than he was about what had happened to her. The victory in Cheve was currently working in her favor, but Garon was not a trusting king. Azura had remembered that well; it was certainly the best route to take in Nohr where threats fell like rain in a summer storm. But his current level of caution was, like his eyes, much darker now than she’d seen as a child.

“There should be no harm in continuing to search for her,” Camilla added. There was strong doubt in her eyes but Azura could not imagine Camilla had truly lost faith in her younger sister.

“We must also consider the possibility of a Hoshidan trap - regardless of Corrin’s true loyalties we can’t rule out coercion,” Leo interjected, stepping forward.

“Leo…” Camilla muttered angrily under her breath. Leo only gave her a soft shake of his head - now is not the time nor place for instilling faith, she could imagine him saying. She bit her lip, allowing him to continue.

“Our enemy may plan on ransoming her,” Leo said, and Azura watched as he motioned an arm to her. “But based on past history, negotiation is not a route I’d expect from them and certainly not one they’d expect from us. It is too high-risk for them, and what would they have to gain? They have wanted Corrin from the start - there are few things they’d give her up for, and none of them are things they could ever expect us to give.”

He paused, gauging his father’s expression and continuing when he saw no anger. “There lie two other, more probable, possibilities. First, that our sister has truly changed sides and chosen to fight for the land of her birth.” While his words betrayed no emotion Azura could see a slight downturn of his lips, knew that was not the option he was rooting for. “If so, she is our enemy and we must take her down like we would any other.” Another pause. “Second, that she is truly a captive, which means they could torture her for information,” he said. “Or at worse, Corrin is considered responsible for the murder of their queen. They could execute her.”

Camilla’s mouth twisted into a scowl but she remained silent, curious what more Leo had to say. Surely he knew as well as any of them that Garon held little affection for Corrin - despite her recent actions, her death would not be an emotional loss for him.

“The death of a royal - regardless of whether she is Nohrian by blood - is obviously bad for morale, and a great offense to your honor,” Leo said. “The betrayal of a royal is a potential seed of doubt that could spread to the masses - and also an offense to Nohr’s honor. Leaving her to her own devices is not an option, and if she makes it to Hoshido our chances of recovering her drop. But regardless of the nature of her disappearance, finding her is top priority to keep our current advantage.”

Leo now looked at his father expectantly, waiting for the king’s insight. Garon straightened himself before speaking. “Thank you for that recap, Leo,” he said, almost sarcastically. “We’ve already sent as many troops as we can afford to continue searching for her within our borders, as well as Nestra and Cheve. What I am more curious about is the pillar of light our sources have described; if the Hoshidans are beginning to utilize stronger sorcery we must learn how to retaliate.”

“This is true, Father,” Leo replied. Normally Garon would ask Iago about all things relating to magic, but the sorcerer was currently off on an errand. “I’ve seen and read of many types of spells, though I’m certainly lacking in knowledge of Hoshidan divination,” he said. “It was unlikely a combative spell; more likely a transportation scroll - or tome.” He paused, pensive. “With powerful magic like this, there is often some left over long after it’s run its course. If I were to travel to the exact site I may be able to learn more about what happened.”

The king’s answer was nearly immediate. “Very well. You will depart first thing in the morning,” he said. “We have already lost significant time on this.” It was true; they hadn’t received word of Corrin’s disappearance until after they’d returned to the capital, when Azura and the rest of the troops returned earlier that day. They’d expected Corrin to be with them, but the mysterious events outside Dia were throwing everybody off.

Garon stood, indicating the end of their audience. His children each gave him a small bow and Azura followed suit before following their lead out the door. “Camilla, you stay. I have something to discuss with you,” Garon said. The princess turned back around confidently, though Azura was almost positive she saw an anxious look on Camilla’s face. Leo casually walked past her, his pace quickening as he headed for the exit, no doubt making arrangements in his head for his new assignment.

The great doors shut with a thud behind them and Azura felt her own heartbeat beginning to speed up as well. She had been given no task, had barely been addressed during their meeting, and frankly had very little idea what her next course of action should be. As much as she wanted to trust her childhood family - she had chosen to betray Hoshido alongside Corrin, after all - there was something about the shadows cast on the walls, in Garon’s empty eyes that felt ominous to her. Azura’s legs shook, eager to take her out of the castle, out of Windmire and back to wherever Corrin currently was.

She knew she had to think quickly; Leo was already ten feet ahead of her, on his way back to his quarters. The room she was staying in was in that wing as well. She padded softly across the carpeted hallway, catching up with him. She grabbed his shoulder lightly and felt him jump a little, though certainly he’d known she was there. “Leo,” she whispered softly, his name foreign on her lips. They’d only met briefly that morning, after all. The prince turned around slowly, green eyes watching her curiously.

“Lady Azura,” he said. “Are you staying in this direction?”

She gave a quick nod. “Yes, but…” she trailed off, uncertain of what to say. It was best to just be direct, she decided. “Listen, if you are investigating that light, I may know something,” she said quietly, worried someone may overhear. Leo’s eyes widened for a moment but returned to neutral quickly. She spoke again before he could reply. “I would rather not tell you here, if that’s alright.” The prince nodded. “Meet me at the pond in the castle garden in an hour,” she added.

“Of course,” Leo breathed, remnants of surprise still left on his face. Azura was quick to move, instinctively giving another small bow as she turned to make her way down the corridor. It was unclear how much help she would be, but she’d seen how Leo looked while speaking of Corrin; he clearly held great affection for his sister, and because of that Azura felt she could trust him.

He may even be able to help her solve the greater problem at hand, she thought, but that could be too much to hope for. She’d soon find out.

-

About an hour into their silent walk they encountered their first problem.

“I’m thirsty,” Corrin said flatly, stopping in her tracks. Takumi slowed in front of her, hair swinging as he cocked his head to the side. They hadn’t spoken a single word to each other since they’d begun walking, and he seemed eager to keep it that way. Still Corrin held her ground, waiting for a response. It was true she was thirsty, but she’d also grown bored from their tedious hike.

They’d picked a random direction and gone - everywhere looked the same anyway, and so they’d proceeded directly toward the fog that obscured anything beyond the field. Curiously, while they walked further ahead the haze never appeared to get any closer, always hovering just out of their reach. It was unclear if they were even covering new ground, since the landscape never changed from the golden grass surrounding them on all sides. The frustration was palpable but still not enough to lure words out of either of them - at least, not until they began to realize what would happen if this continued.

“What am I supposed to do about it?” Takumi asked, reluctantly turning to face her. “I’m guessing next you’ll be hungry too,” he said. Then, sweeping his arms around them: “In case you hadn’t noticed, there is nothing to eat or drink anywhere near here!”

Corrin grit her teeth. “Yea, I see that,” she said. The dehydration was certainly not doing anything for either of their moods. “In fact, nothing has changed at all. I’m almost positive I’ve seen that stalk of grass before,” she added.

Takumi fumed. “How can you even tell?” He turned back around, too angry to look at her. “It’s not like we have another option besides continuing. You said so yourself - staying put isn’t doing us any good.”

“That was before walking got us literally nowhere,” Corrin retorted. “We could just be exhausting ourselves at this point.” She stared up again at the bizarre sky, colors flickering in and out just as they had before. “There is one thing we could try, I guess,” she mused, still watching the heavens. Takumi turned back around, his interest piqued, though there was still a doubtful scowl on his face. “Do you remember how we got here in the first place?” Corrin asked, looking at him expectantly.

He lifted his bow slightly, remembering. “You struck my Fujin Yumi with your sword, and it started shaking and glowing… Then we were here.” Corrin nodded, watching him expectantly with a grin on her face. “What, you mean you want to try and replicate what happened?” She opened her mouth to respond but he cut her off. “That’s such a terrible idea,” he said. “Sounds like your thirst is getting to your head.”

Corrin groaned. “Seriously, it’s either that or continue walking through grass hell,” she said. “It’ll only take a minute to try anyway!” She stared at him, refusing to break his gaze as he struggled to maintain his stern expression. He had to be as desperate as she was, but the prince’s stubbornness seemed to outweigh that. She breathed deeply, clearing her thoughts. “Look, when I traveled to the Sevenfold Sanctuary the Rainbow Sage transformed my blade.” Corrin unsheathed the sword by her side, following the new swirls along the handle and its subtle dark glow - though she noticed now that had faded significantly, possibly at the same time the edges were dulled. “Yours is a divine weapon too, correct? Maybe they carry more power than we know.”

She watched Takumi’s face as he glanced at her Yato, then back to his own bow, tracing the details of his weapon and thinking on her words. Several times he opened his mouth to speak but promptly closed it before throwing her another skeptical frown. Finally he made one more sweep of their surroundings before letting out a sigh. “Alright, I suppose it’s worth a shot,” he said reluctantly, moving into his archery stance. “So I was about to shoot, like this,” he began, pretending to draw the Fujin Yumi’s currently imaginary bowstring. He turned to Corrin expectantly.

“I swung my sword at you, like this,” she added, slowly moving her blade towards his bow handle and lightly making contact just under his grip. There was a soft clink but no light or motion. Corrin held her position, waiting, eyes catching Takumi’s for a moment. She closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, trying to feel her Yato’s energy like she had a week ago at camp. It stayed quiet, but after she’d settled into her breath she could hear the light in and out of Takumi’s own.

“Nothing is happening,” he whispered nonchalantly, though he remained still. Corrin opened an eye and saw him watching his bow intently.

“Maybe it takes some time,” she said, hiding her skepticism. They didn’t seem to be getting any results but she wasn’t eager to return to walking either. Corrin returned to her meditative state.

“Wait,” Takumi said abruptly, and she felt his arm flinch. “I feel something.” Her eyes flew open and his were both closed this time, still focused. “It’s faint, but…” He dropped his stance without warning and Corrin almost lost her balance - as she steadied herself she watched Takumi lowering to the ground, bow still in his hands. “There’s a dragon vein around here somewhere.”

Corrin tilted her head to the side, scanning the field anxiously. “Really?” Takumi eyed her warily.

“Yes. You should be able to sense it too,” he said. The words were familiar, and Corrin felt her face flush.

“I, uh, I’m not too great at sensing dragon veins,” she said, chewing on her lip. She thought she heard Takumi let out a small chuckle but then his eyes were serious and she was almost certain she’d imagined it. He motioned his free hand to her, beckoning her forward.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” he said, and Corrin knelt down hesitantly, sword still in her hand. Takumi glanced at the Yato and then his own bow. “It’s fading. I think having our weapons close helped,” he said quietly, almost as if he didn’t want it to be true. She nudged her blade towards the Fujin Yumi so they were barely touching and her brother swept his palm across the ground, fingers spread out. “Just focus on the earth,” he said, and Corrin closed her eyes to mimic his action. “Use your Yato. It was supposedly forged by dragons, similar to the Fujin Yumi, so it can enhance draconic blood,” he added.

She was impressed by how calm he was, surprised by his willingness to help her. “You sure do know a lo-“

“Ssh! Focus,” he said, and Corrin nodded sharply, returning her thoughts to the lifeless ground beneath her. She fell back into her meditation and was reminded of how her Nohrian siblings would give her similar advice to unlock her dragon senses. Her stomach swirled with sudden homesickness; Nohr, and her family - her seeing them again depended on finding this dragon vein. Camilla had always told her that intent was the key to harnessing a vein, that if you demonstrated clear ambition it would lend its power to you willingly. She thought too of the Yato, itself a symbol of her goal to unite Nohr and Hoshido. Now would be a good time for it to grant her strength.

A gasp escaped her lips as she felt an energy surge through her arm, following its source to her left. “There it is,” she heard Takumi say, and could practically hear the smile even though she was turned away.

“Let’s go,” Corrin said, rising to her feet. The prince quickly followed suit and set off for the vein, only a few hundred feet away by her estimate. “Thanks for the help,” she said. “Not to sound rude, but it was very unexpected.”

She heard him scoff. “Don’t get too used to it,” he said, his tone suddenly dark. “Like I said, our situation requires us to cooperate. As soon as it doesn’t…” he trailed off but Corrin understood the sentiment.

Shortly after they came to a stop over the spot where they could feel the full strength of the vein. It was a big one, and Corrin wondered how they hadn’t noticed it before. Perhaps their weapons’ synergy had truly made a difference, though she was too excited to muse fully. She turned to Takumi, whose temporarily serious expression had faded back into triumph. “Would you like to do the honors?”

“Fine,” he shrugged and locked his gaze on the ground. She watched as a light breeze picked up, billowing through both their hair and her cape as the draconic energy gathered and swirled around them. As the energy grew thick it became visible, a wispy orange glow flitting around and pulling even closer together. Without warning the ball of light shot through the air before plunging back down in front of them, the shockwave echoing throughout the silent field and nearly knocking her down.

There was another flash of light and she shielded her eyes, still feeling the blades of energy lash out around her. As the magic died down her eyelids lifted again.

And the fog was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, first chapter in a while, I know. In return, it's the longest one so far, and hopefully has some more substance to it. As always, thank you for your comments and your patience!

In the split second before the light overloaded his vision he could see the haze around them being thrown back, blasted apart into a million wisps that suddenly launched themselves in different directions around the field. He’d knelt to the ground when the shockwave hit to save himself from falling over, and now his head was tucked into his chest as the bright magic threatened to blind him. The rumbling continued for a solid minute before the swirl of energy was replaced by - to Takumi’s great relief - a light breeze.

His eyes fluttered open and he saw green, felt life and smelled pine. All good signs so far. Corrin’s voice broke through the fresh-scented air and as he lifted his head he turned to her, watched the deep blue cloth draped across her back as she watched their surroundings, awestruck. “No way…” She pivoted around to face him and he instinctively averted her eyes, crimson burning into him. “Seriously, take a look at this,” she said. Slowly Takumi rose to his feet, taking in more of the scene. It was certainly a more lively landscape, with wildflowers scattered haphazardly across green grass. A tree he couldn’t identify rose above them several feet away, and he spied several more like it in the distance. Far beyond that the earth rose into hills and mountains, some shooting up at bizarrely extreme inclines.

But the more he looked at it the more he began to realize that something was off. Corrin seemed to have noticed to, her eyes filling with concern, and as his focus turned to the sky above them he noticed the great chunks of earth floating impossibly through the air. “Is that…?” he trailed off, realizing suddenly that what he’d thought was a cliff in the distance was actually the same field bent crookedly upward, as though it had been torn from the earth.

“It’s certainly better than before,” Corrin said. “But this definitely isn’t Nohr, or even Nestra.”

Takumi shook his head slowly, trying to count the small islands - they were far away and he couldn’t quite judge their size, but they seemed large - that hung against the thin fog. “There’s nowhere like this in Hoshido either,” he said, his expression darkening. He was anxious to reunite with his retainers and the rest of his troops and forget this bizarre little detour, but it was becoming increasingly clear that he had a longer ordeal ahead of him. And as he thought longer on their circumstances the more overwhelmed he felt.

It was unclear how much time had passed while they’d been unconscious, but he felt it was safe to assume that had already set them back several hours. Add in the agonizingly long time spent walking through the lifeless field and the count went up to half a day - no doubt the fighting had long since ended. And though Takumi hadn’t seen how many Nohrians had overtaken them he knew his small army had been outnumbered. His stomach churned with unease - how many of his men had he lost? Would they be taken prisoner? He hoped that at least Hinata and Oboro had managed to escape and find a ship back to Hoshido.

His thoughts were interrupted by Corrin yelling and breaking into a run. “There’s water!” she said, and when he followed the direction of her movement he saw what looked like a small lake a few hundred feet away. She’d sounded so excited, and he felt a flash of anger at her happy-go-lucky attitude. She didn’t have a defeated army to go back to; in fact, when they returned it was likely he’d fall into captivity again, and he couldn’t really count on Corrin releasing him a second time. Still his own thirst betrayed him and he dismissed his disdain for the time being.

He caught up to her at the lake’s shore, her knees sinking into the soft sand as she cupped the water in her hands, examining it for a moment before drinking. It was surprisingly clear, and as he scanned the surface he noted it had an almost ethereal shimmer to it. Similar to the sky, or even the fog. He eyed everything warily, still eager to know where exactly they were. And, more importantly, how to get back home.

“Aren’t you going to have some?” Corrin asked, looking up at him. “It’s pretty refreshing,” she added, turning to cup more water in her hands and splashing it across her face. A few drops lingered in her hair dangling across her chest, catching the light and giving her a warm glow. Takumi hesitated before dropping down, dipping his hands into the cool water. He sipped slowly, eyes closed as he focused on the sounds around them. There was a light hum of crickets, a rustling of wind through the trees, but it was still suspiciously quiet. And while he’d seen no signs of human presence, he couldn’t shake a gut feeling that somebody else was nearby.

“We should get moving again soon,” Corrin said. “Maybe look for a town or people, or at least something to eat.”

“Mm,” Takumi said, nodding slowly.

“Hopefully we can find somebody who can tell us where we are,” she said.

“Yea,” he replied, eyes still closed, realizing suddenly how tired he was.

“Hey, are you… alright?”

His eyes opened and his brow furrowed as he turned to her. “What?”

Corrin shifted into a crouch, inching closer. “You look a bit pale… and you’ve got some dark circles under your eyes,” she said. Takumi scoffed.

“I’m fine,” he said with a groan. “I don’t need you of all people worrying about— ah!” He was interrupted by a sharp pain shooting through his temple. He winced, feeling himself wobble even in his kneeling position and instinctively throwing out an arm to catch himself as he keeled over. But before he could feel his palm meeting sand a firm hand gripped both his shoulders, pushing him. “Ow…” he said, his ears burning as he heard the whine in his voice.

“You don’t seem fine.” His eyes were still closed as the pounding in his head continued. Corrin’s voice was close by his ear and he was vaguely aware of his forehead touching something, he assumed her shoulder. Her fingers dug into his forearm, struggling a bit with his weight. “Hey, stay with me,” she said, but her calm words only seemed to aggravate the pain and he grit his teeth, a low growl escaping his lips. He felt her tense up, staying quiet, hearing only his own ragged breathing.

After half a minute of stillness he let out a sharp exhale, gripping Corrin’s wrist as he lifted his head up. Her hands slipped away as he opened his eyes tentatively, squinting as he readjusted to the light. She’d leaned back to give him room, her fingers twirling idly. Her mood had dipped significantly and she kept trying to steal concerned glances at him, turning away whenever his eyes began to meet hers. He couldn’t decide whether he liked the sudden fear he’d instilled in her.

“Like I said, I’m fine,” he said, standing abruptly and turning away, feeling a slight rush to his head as he rose so quickly. He’d left his Fujin Yumi lying under a tree nearby, and he quickly stepped over to the weapon, its feel in his hand instantly calming. “We should head out.”

“Yes, we’ve lingered here long enough,” Corrin said, moving to her feet as well. “Just try to take it easy, alright?”

He pivoted back to her, eyes piercing. “Why are you pretending to care?”

Corrin frowned at him. “I’m not pretending,” she said. Takumi rolled his head back in disbelief.

“You think I want your fake pity?” he said, huffing. “You just want to get back to your false family in Nohr. They came to get you, didn’t they? And if it wasn’t for that… light, you’d have been well on your way back home.” Corrin opened her mouth to interject but he wouldn’t let her, continuing his onslaught. “So don’t act like you’re concerned for my well-being. You lost any right to care when you betrayed us - and I’m not talking about that day on the plains,” he said. “No, I’m talking about the day you killed our mother in cold blood.”

He stared at her, finally finished, and Corrin squirmed under his gaze. “Fine, if that’s how you feel. I won’t waste my time trying to convince you anymore,” she said, her voice low. Then her expression changed, her eyes determined. “But until we get out of here we’re stuck together,” she said. Takumi crossed his arms, watching the lake. There was some relief in telling Corrin off, but something in his gut still felt uneasy. The water shimmered in its strange way, but as he looked more closely he swore he could see small ripples moving across the surface. Curious.

“That’s odd,” he said to himself, but Corrin had heard him and was following his gaze. “Does the water look strange to you or—“ he was cut off by the loud crack of a twig snapping, coming from behind them. As he looked around he saw nothing, but the nagging presence hadn’t gone away.

“Look out!” Corrin’s arm shoved him hard out of the way of something he could not see, her sword flying faster than light in front of her. Impossibly it seemed to collide with something - he heard the clink of steel on steel but saw nothing. “There’s someone there,” she said through gritted teeth, not taking her eyes off of whatever invisible enemy had attacked him. As Takumi focused he began to notice a shimmering in front of her, flashes of a human form; while difficult to see, it was still possible to anticipate the creature’s actions. “No way… my Yato is sharp again,” Corrin said.

“What?” Takumi asked, still focused on their current enemy. Out of the corner of his eye, though, he caught the darkened glow around her blade. Corrin lunged forward with unprecedented strength, knocking his attacker back several feet as she shifted into her signature fighting stance.

“Maybe that dragon vein restored its blade,” she said, swinging at the semi-invisible humanoid. Another strong strike knocked it back again. “Try your bow!”

Takumi eyed his Fujin Yumi skeptically but found himself preparing an attack anyway; it was worth a shot. As he placed his hand on the winged detail he was pleasantly surprised as he felt its usual energy running through him, followed by a crisp blue light forming into a bowstring. He smiled, quite possibly the most genuine smile he could remember in a while, pulling his arm back to shoot. Corrin had their enemy busy, but she wasn’t in quite close enough quarters to make his shot difficult. She only needed to knock them back one more time and — there.

He let the arrow fly and it struck what initially looked like thin air, but as the bow’s divine energy hit its mark blue light flashed in a human form long enough to see the creature slump over, a violet aura seeping off from its body. He took a cautious step forward and was surprised as the creature changed in front of them, slowly becoming visible until it became clear what had attacked them. Corrin gasped, still gripping her Yato; whatever attacked them was indeed human, or very much appeared to be. Still, its skin had a purple tinge to it, and nothing about it seemed lively, as though it had already been dead for longer than a few seconds. “What was that thing?” Corrin asked warily. She stepped forward to further examine the corpse, but before she could get closer it faded into a purple mist that quickly dissipated itself, leaving no trace of the enemy.

There was little time to contemplate as they heard the sound of several more footsteps, turned to see that more invisible soldiers had manifested around them. Takumi’s stomach dropped. “Looks like we’ve got bigger things to worry about,” he said, hand flying back to his bow. Corrin chuckled, spinning the handle of her sword playfully in her hands.

“Bring it on. I’ve gone through too much to die to a few flickering illusions,” she said, surprisingly cocky.

Still Takumi had to agree with her; it was probably the only time he ever would.

-

The castle gardens were like a maze, at least to those who were unfamiliar. The foliage cast deceptive shadows everywhere, and sections were designed purposefully to resemble each other; great bushes of black roses grew high into the air, fighting for sunlight and creating labyrinthine walls. This layout was of course intentional; if any intruders dared to enter the castle through here, they would first have to outsmart the winding paths of the affectionately named Royal Dusk Forest.

Leo, of course, knew every twist and corner by heart, and there was only one pond; he was surprised Azura had remembered it existed, let alone how to reach it. Still, as he rounded the final turn he saw the mysterious princess standing serenely by the water, her sky blue hair swaying softly. Her white robes stood in stark contrast to the somber colors of Nohr, almost glowing as it reflected what little sunlight peaked through the clouds. He could hear a light hum and wondered if she’d been practicing her singing. Corrin had written him about Azura’s beautiful voice, and though he’d only heard her speak so far - and very few words at that - he had to agree.

“Lady Azura,” he called out, not wanting to sneak up on her. Her head lifted and she turned slowly, a soft smile on her lips that didn’t quite make it up to her blue eyes. He stepped across the small lawn, coming to a stop by the shore and giving the princess a short bow. “You look well this evening,” he said, and noted how Azura’s eyes shone slightly brighter for a moment to match her smile.

“Please, Lord Leo. No need to be so formal,” she said. “I am only Azura. Any titles I once held have been discarded,” she continued, and the relief in her voice implied she was very happy for it.

The prince chuckled. “Very well, Azura. But the same applies to you; it’s Leo. Just Leo,” he said. He had enough people calling him Lord already, and if Azura was planning to aid him in his task he imagined they would have to get familiar quickly. He was eager to ask her for the information she’d offered earlier, but something about her intrigued him. He held off on breaking straight to the point. “How are you enjoying your return to Nohr?”

She seemed taken aback, though he was uncertain if it was the content of the question or his delaying the true purpose of their meeting. “It’s…” she trailed off, studying his face carefully. “It’s somewhat unsettling, honestly,” she said. Leo tilted his head; she’d gone for the honest answer, or at least one that sounded like it. With how secretive she acted he’d expected having to work harder to pry any of her true feelings out. He resisted a smile; she was certainly a puzzle, but he always was a fan of the unknown.

“I can imagine,” he said. “I… I don’t remember much about you from before you were taken,” he added, his chest heavy with something - was it guilt? “But Xander and Camilla said you weren’t treated well.” Azura watched him silently and he began to regret even bringing up her kidnapping. “I’m sorry,” he added, but his apology was met with a quick head shake.

“No, it’s alright,” she said. “My time here wasn’t always pleasant.” Her eyes turned away and scanned the dark water. “I would come here a lot. This garden is so difficult to navigate, so I could usually be sure no one could find me,” she said. “You never really expressed much interest in being outside, if I recall,” she added, almost teasingly. Leo shrugged; it was true that he spent most of his time in the library, but Elise would often manage to drag him into the garden for brief moments. “But your studies have paid off; you were amazing in court earlier.”

He smirked. “I’d like to hope I’ll be advising my brother in the future,” he said. “But this is a very delicate situation we’ve found ourselves in. Father is stricter than ever now that we’re at war, and Corrin’s disappearance is only aggravating his suspicions.” Leo crossed his arms, his breathing calm but his shoulders tense. “I believe in my sister, and she is good for morale. The dedication of her troops is a testament to that, and we’ll need her if we want this war to end without devastating Nohr’s resources.”

Azura turned back to him, her mouth drawn into a thin line. “Leo…” She may have spent most of her life in Hoshido, but she had to understand Nohr’s current economic climate. The last few years had achieved record low crop yields even as the country’s population had increased, and the rift between rich and poor was growing larger with each passing day. While Nohr’s military was strong, their invasion of Hoshido was drawing manpower away from dealing with the country’s own rising crime rates, and from the rumors Leo had heard the fighting had many citizens split. Many resented Hoshido, who had been taking advantage of their neighbor’s by slowly raising taxes on their exports; others remembered a more peaceful time between the two kingdoms and were demanding a negotiation.

“It would take a diplomatic miracle to solve this conflict without more bloodshed,” Leo said. “Tensions were already high before Queen Mikoto’s death, and now I doubt any Nohrian royal could step over the border without being arrested as a war criminal.” His gaze flew skyward to watch the dark clouds above them, constantly moving but never dissipating. Azura took a step closer to the pond’s shore, her bare feet brushing the edges of the water.

“You would seek peace between the two kingdoms?” she asked.

Leo sighed. “Both sides have shown hostility towards each other. And while it’s true that we were the ones to declare war and invade, our army is not a complete reflection of Nohr as a whole,” he said. “I’ve read a great deal of Hoshido and Nohr having peaceful relations in the past. Hoshido used to be very generous in sharing its resources, and Nohrian mages and scientists exchanged a great deal of their discoveries and knowledge with their Hoshidan counterparts.” He paused, watching as Azura took another step so the soles of her feet dipped into the dark water. “The exact point where that relation turned sour isn’t well recorded, and almost abrupt,” he said. “I don’t see a clear reason for the fighting, but… at this point it feels almost inevitable.”

“Like you said,” Azura breathed. “It would take a miracle to solve this peacefully.” She was turned entirely away from him now, and another step took her ankle deep in the pond. Leo watched curiously. “Could Corrin be that miracle?” she asked, more to the air than to him.

“I suppose she could…” Leo said, though his attention was currently more taken by the princess in front of him. “What exactly are you doing, Azura? It’s not exactly the best weather for swimming,” he said, feeling a cool gust fly past even as he said it. She laughed softly, the water swirling as she turned around to meet his eyes. It was up to her calves now and her skirt and hair were becoming submerged.

“You’re going south to investigate that light,” she said, ignoring his question. “I told you earlier I had information that might help you.” Leo nodded, anxious now to hear what she had to say. She continued. “The last time we were in Dia was to seek the Rainbow Sage at Notre Sagesse. Unfortunately, the sage died shortly after our visit. But the people around both the island and Dia have long respected his knowledge, building shrines and temples to show their patronage.” She paused, eyes scanning the water, considering. “I know for a fact that one of those temples is located very near the site of Corrin’s disappearance,” she said. “It may be in your interest to seek out the Sage’s wisdom while you’re there.”

Leo watched her, thinking on her words. “Very well. I’ll definitely make a stop there,” he said. But Azura’s knowing gaze was on him, and he couldn’t help but feel she had more to say. “Is that all, Azura? You invited me out here to tell me that?”

She must have sensed his caution, as unease played across her face. “Well… yes,” she said.

“No, there must be something else,” Leo said, stepping forward so that he was nearly in the water himself. “I saw it when I met you. Your eyes… they know much more than what you’ve told me.” Azura sank further into the pond and he moved back, realized he was frightening her. “I understand if you don’t fully trust me,” he said, turning his gaze away from her. “I really am thankful for your words, and I don’t believe you’re misleading me. But whatever deeper secrets you’re holding… you almost seem afraid of what you know. That hardly seems fair - must you carry all your knowledge alone?”

Azura’s shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. “There are many things I’d like to tell you, Leo. And Corrin as well,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Now is not the time. Visiting that temple is the best advice I can give you today.”

He nodded, though there was a hint of frustration tugging at the edges of his mouth. “As I said, I will do it. But what about you? Surely you don’t plan to just sit on your hands while Corrin goes unfound.”

His question was met with an unexpected smile. “Certainly not,” she said, the water rippling around her again as she began walking steadily deeper. “I’ll be looking for her as well - in my own way.” She was in up to her waist now and Leo could swear he saw the dark water shimmering, forming into a light glow around her as she continued to submerge herself. “Please, don’t tell anyone about this meeting, or what you’re about to see. I can trust you to share this secret, yes?” Leo opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a sudden flash as the water shone brightly, moving upward to further engulf the princess. He was vaguely aware of her head bobbing under, obscured by waves and light.

Then it was gone just as abruptly, and Leo found himself looking at the still surface, dark and unmoving as though Azura had never been there. “How on earth…” he muttered to himself, wondering if he’d dreamt their entire meeting. He’d never seen a spell like that, only heard a similar description. A pillar of light, and a disappearance - yes, Azura certainly knew more about Corrin than she was letting on, he thought. The temple she’d spoken of was nearly pushed to the back of his mind after what he’d just witnessed. Unless that was all part of what she’d meant to tell him?

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft rustling and the padding of feet nearby. His heart skipped a beat - had somebody been listening in on their conversation this entire time? He prayed it was not one of his father’s spies, or if so at least one that he could intimidate into silence. “Who’s there?” he demanded, walking back toward the path he’d come from. His question was met with nothing but silence, though his ears picked up some inaudible mumbling from behind one of the hedges.

“…awaits us.” Leo barely made out the last two words, his hands reaching for the tome at his side. Magic crackled through his arm as he prepared a small spell.

“Make yourself known, intruder,” he said, approaching the hedge. “Or my Brynhildr will do it for you!” He yelled as he turned the corner, hearing a light squeal as a darkened figure jumped back from him. Leo squinted, closing his book as he realized who had found him. He would know that blonde hair and dramatic stance anywhere. “Oh, for crying out loud…”

“What a coolly delivered threat, Lord Leo!” Odin’s grin was even wider than usual as he admired the prince. “Straight out of an epic fable,” he said. Leo pinched the bridge of his nose, his adrenaline still elevated from earlier. Though he was heavily relieved that it had only been Odin listening in and - most likely - catching a glimpse of Azura’s astounding aquatic exit.

“Please lower your voice, Odin,” he said. “What are you even doing out here?”

Odin stood with his hands on his hips. “I heard from Camilla that you volunteered for a new mission, and I was just dying to find out the details,” the dark mage said, visibly shaking with excitement. “One of the maids saw you heading for the gardens, and so I went looking for you.” Leo sighed - it wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. “So where are we going? Or must I wait until Niles is here as well?”

“We’re heading south to Dia to investigate the magic pillar that engulfed my sister,” Leo replied. “I’ll have more details later. But first, Odin,” he lowered his voice, leaning in close to his retainer. “You mustn’t tell anyone about what you saw or heard just now. Is that clear?”

The other man dropped his voice to a whisper. “Of course, milord,” he said, his expression serious. “I swear no one else will hear of this.” Leo stepped back, satisfied as he found the path again. Odin sighed. “That light though, I swear I’ve seen something like it before,” he mused to himself.

“What was that?” Leo asked, puzzled.

“N-nothing,” Odin shot back quickly, his face red as he walked past Leo. The prince eyed him suspiciously.

“You just said you’d seen something like that before, Odin,” Leo said, placing a hand on the mage’s shoulder. “If you know something about that light, you must tell me. It could help us find Corrin.” Odin tensed under his grip, shaking his head. Leo was surprised by his retainer’s actions - normally he would happily announce any useful knowledge he had. When Odin turned to look at him there was an intensity in his eyes - that much was normal, but the usual coy smile was gone.

“I don’t mean to hide anything from you, Lord Leo,” he began. “But on this matter I am sworn to secrecy. Please understand.”

Leo groaned. “Why does everybody suddenly have these ridiculous secrets?” He exhaled deeply. “Very well. If you and Azura insist on keeping your true intentions unknown, I’ll play along. For now. But I expect to learn the truth eventually - with or without your help,” he said. Odin nodded, his grin resurfacing.

“I hope to tell you one day, milord,” he added as they began walking again. “We should find Niles! I’m sure there are many preparations to be made for our task,” he said.

“Yes, we’re set to leave tomorrow morning,” Leo said. “Something strange is clearly going on, and I intend to get to the bottom of it.”

-

Sweat beaded on her forehead as her blade sliced through yet another enemy, their now-tangible body falling to the earth in front of her. She’d lost count of how many she’d taken out, but the soldiers’ numbers seemed to finally be dwindling. Corrin breathed deeply as she scanned the field, watching for the light shimmer of movement. As she took a step back she felt an elbow bump against her shoulder, heard a quick zipping sound radiating away behind her.

“Watch where you’re going,” Takumi muttered, prepping another arrow. He’d been handling most of the enemies coming in from longer range, drastically reducing the number she’d had to deal with; she would have easily become overwhelmed if not for the prince’s excellent aim. He pivoted quickly so he was on her right, his arrow flying and making contact with a soldier too far away for her to see. She turned so her back was to his again, striding forward to meet with another who had closed in on them. It only took two swift strikes to take them out, and she was left waiting again, her ears and eyes alert.

“There aren’t many left,” she said. “It might be a good time to retreat. Or I suppose, in this case, make off for the nearest town. Wherever that is.” She heard a thud as another of Takumi’s arrows met its mark.

“Good thought,” he said. “My arm is beginning to get tired, and I’m not sure how much longer I can keep this up.” He turned, tapping Corrin lightly on the shoulder to steer her in the direction of his gaze. “There’s an opening this way,” he said, quickly taking off. She followed his lead, sword still at the ready in case any more invisible soldiers dared to strike her. There was no road to follow, but the path lead them back in the direction they came from; a flat meadow stretched across for about a quarter mile before making way to a forest.

They stopped at the edge of the woods, where Corrin began to realize her fatigue. Any of the energy she’d had after waking up was now dissipated after their fight, and she stretched her sore muscles under the shade of a pine tree. While most of the foliage they’d encountered was foreign, she was glad for at least one familiar thing. Takumi seated himself silently, his eyes closed and shoulders pulled back in a meditative posture. While he’d performed well enough in their earlier skirmish, Corrin was still concerned about his episode by the water; he’d clearly been in pain, and she could almost feel the negative energy radiating off him.

“What are we supposed to do now?” she asked, not necessarily expecting an answer. She lowered herself to the ground as well, her eyes looking to the sky. The sun had certainly moved, but not as much as Corrin had expected; the light level hinted at mid-afternoon while her mental clock insisted on evening. A rustling distracted her from her musings and she turned to Takumi, who was pulling out a small packet from his shirt pocket. “Are those…?”

“Emergency rations,” he said flatly, focused on his hands. “In case you hadn’t noticed, there isn’t a ton of food around here. I don’t recognize most of the plants so I have no clue what’s edible,” he added, breaking off a piece and offering it to her. “Here.”

“Oh, thanks,” Corrin said, gladly taking it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten. “You’re… really prepared.”

“We’re in a war,” Takumi retorted. “You act like you haven’t been commanding an entire army.”

Corrin leaned back, bark digging into her armor. “I’m pretty new to it,” she said. “I’m new to a lot of things.” She shot him a glance, her mind drifting back to Nohr again. She had seen more of it since the war began than she’d ever seen growing up, and she was only barely beginning to understand the politics underlying the conflict. While she was glad to finally see the world, she wished it could have been under better circumstances.

“I thought for a while that you were faking your naiveté,” Takumi began. “But now I’m pretty sure you’re just a well-protected idiot.”

She felt her face turn red, glaring at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. “I know I had a very isolated childhood. But I was trained to fight, which happens to be what we need right now,” she said. “Who are you calling well-protected, anyway? Last I checked you don’t travel anywhere without your retainers, just like any other royal.”

Takumi watched, almost examined her, his expression enigmatic. “I don’t like to leave anything to chance. I’ve trained myself to make sure I never have to,” he said. Then his voice lowered. “Did… did they really keep you locked up in a fortress for years?” he asked. “And you thought that was normal?”

Corrin pulled her knees into her chest, curious about Takumi’s sudden concern but too wary to question it. “My siblings visited me often. Between them and my retainers I had good company,” she said. A sigh escaped her lips. “But in retrospect, I suppose it is pretty pathetic that I never got to see the country I was raised in. And my father— King Garon, that is — wasn’t very happy to see me return. He no doubt thinks I’ve betrayed Nohr now,” she added, tensing up at the latter thought. Until this moment she’d been too distracted to think of what Garon might be planning for her. Even without knowing that she’d willingly released a prisoner he’d likely already branded her a traitor.

“Yet still you would go back,” Takumi said. “You make no sense, you know that?” Corrin tilted her head, her curiosity giving way to surprise. “You back a country known for its ruthlessness, but ensure your troops leave no casualties. You claim you want peace but side with the aggressor. I can’t understand it, just - hey, are you even listening?”

She’d risen to her feet, brushing off her armor and walking nonchalantly toward him, uninterested in any further criticism. It seemed to be all that came out of his mouth if he talked for long enough. “For somebody who predicted I would betray him,” she began, stopping two feet in front of him, crimson eyes watching from above. “For somebody who demanded I leave and never come back, you sure act like you wanted me to do the exact opposite,” she said, feeling the chill in her own voice. But if all Takumi saw her as was a monster, she saw little point in trying anymore to convince him otherwise.

He looked up at her, a slight quiver in his lips. Corrin turned her head away, exhaling. “We should get moving. Who knows how much more light we’ll have?” She took another look at the sky - still bright and clear, but she couldn’t stomp the feeling that night could fall without warning.

Takumi stood to join her, his nervous expression not lasting long as he exchanged it for a determined glare. “Fine,” he muttered, a trace of defeat in his voice. “Let’s…” he trailed off, scanning their surroundings, his grip on his bow tightening. “Hang on,” he started, his voice dropped to a whisper. “Somebody’s here.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Corrin whispered back. “Not more of those enemies from earlier I hope,” she said skeptically, her muscles feeling heavy just thinking about more fighting. But the prince shook his head.

“No, I don’t think—“ his statement was cut off by a hard thud behind him; Corrin watched as metal struck the hard bark of the tree he’d been sitting under. An arrow, a real one, stuck out from its trunk, hovering above their heads. Whoever had shot it either had terrible aim or wasn’t trying to hit them.

She turned slowly, both of them following the path of the arrow. Its source was not hard to locate: a small figure stood atop the small slope leading back out of the woods. As it came into view Corrin saw what appeared to be a young boy, around eleven or twelve by her guess, draped in robes that were simultaneously too big for him and of a completely unknown origin; she wasn’t even sure she’d seen that fabric before.

“Who are you?” Takumi called out, demanding. The boy took several steps towards them, his small wooden bow relaxed at his side. There was a hint of a smile at the edges of his thin lips.

“I’m the one who should be asking you that, outsiders,” he said. “Welcome to Valla.”


End file.
